Straight Outta Brooklyn
by lostadventure
Summary: Maxine "Max" Doris Winters was not only an agent, but she was one of the best during her time. Not to mention she could save Bucky Barnes' and Steve Rogers' asses any day of the week. The three of them had been best friends since they could remember and even before then. She had always cleaned up after them, making sure that when they did something stupid, she was right there with
1. i Younglings

**Chapter 1**

Chasing the two of them around the playground had always been her favorite activity. She could catch them in the blink of an eye and maybe it wasn't such a bad thing.

 _"Maxi!" James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes complained, bent over forward, his hands on his knees as he breathed hard. "That last one hurt!"_

 _Steve jogged over, more out of breath than Bucky. "At least you weren't pushed into the sand pit." He gave Max a pointed look._

 _"Yeah yeah, losers. Maybe you should toughen up a little bit, take some lessons or something. Stevie, you sure as hell need it." Max smirked at her two best friends._

 _Steve frowned. "Hey! That wasn't nice! And you know our situation... We can't afford it right now..."_

 _Max blinked at him. For a seven year-old, Steve was completely involved in his family's finances. Sometimes it made Max wonder if he would become an accountant when he was older. She shook the thoughts away from her mind as she smiled slightly._  
 _"Sorry Stevie, I didn't mean it, honestly. But you could bulk up a little. I can't keep picking up after you while Bucky saves your ass."_

 _"Ms. Winters!" their teacher yelled from across the courtyard. "Language!"_

 _Max smirked while her best friends laughed their butts off. "Yes ma'am!" Max yelled back._

 _Bucky laughed as he began to walk side-by-side with Max toward the swing, Steve on Max's other side. "Sometimes I think you're going to grow up and become a sailor or become part of the Navy or something."_

 _Max quirked a smile. "Why's that, Buck?"_

 _"Because you swear like one, that's why." Bucky smirked as she sat on a swing and the two of them pushed her._

 _Max laughed. "Is that your only reason?!"_

 _Steve laughed too, giving her another push. "And you're strong, always carrying the stupid with you."_

 _Max reached back and smacked him on her way backwards. "Hey!"_

 _The bell rang for them to go back into school. Max jumped off the swing and linked arms with her two best friends before they strutted inside._

 _"Well whatever we end up doing, I'm never leaving you two. It just wouldn't be possible." She smiled as she pulled them closer to her._

 _Both Steve and Bucky ruffled her hair._  
 _"You sap," Bucky commented._  
 _"What a nerd," Steve joked._

That was ten years ago, and now the three of them were graduating high school. Lots were ahead of them. For Steve, it was Art School. He was a fantastic artist and would harness his skills. For Bucky, it was at least getting a job. For Max... well, she still hadn't figured it out yet. She wanted to something extraordinary, help people, hone in on her skills; maybe even become a spy.

They sat in the graduation chairs, Bucky in the front row with Steve and Max in the back sitting side by side. The sound of Bucky's name pulled her into reality.

"James Buchanan Barnes!" The headmaster of the school exclaimed. Bucky stood up, smiling at his two best friends. He shook the headmaster's hand and raised the diploma above his head. His family cheered him on from their seats. They went through the long list of other students before exclaiming Steve's name. He stood up and walked his way to the front, shook hands with the headmaster and walked over to where Bucky stood waiting for him.

Max's name was up next. She had never been more nervous in her life. She took a deep breath as the headmaster called her name. "And last but not least, Maxine Doris Winters!"

She smiled as she stood up and walked over, shook the headmaster's hand, took her diploma and waved it above her head. She smiled over at Bucky and Steve who cheered her on.

"You graduated!" they yelled together.

She ran over to them and jumped into their arms. "Correction, _WE_ graduated!"

And on that day, their world changed. All three of them stayed in Brooklyn. Bucky got a job at a car repair shop, Steve was taking arts classes, and Max was working at the diner while taking some government classes on the side.

No, not the type of classes you're thinking about. Rather, classes about the country and how to protect it. She had already mastered three different types of martial arts and was just abut to master her fourth. She needed at least twenty before she could continue to the next level of training.

Of course, all was being done in secret. The government couldn't have a national scandal on their hands, now could they?

Max didn't mind doing it all behind closed doors, she actually found it quite exciting. Doing something no one else had done before? Hell yeah she was up for it!

A few years went by and Steve's mom passed away. He stopped going to classes and sat on the couch of the apartment that the three of them shared. She had been seriously sick and they all knew it was coming but none of them thought it would be so soon.

Both Max and Bucky would come home to a sleep deprived Steve, seemingly emotionless and even thinner than before. It broke both of their hearts to see him like that.

One day, Max couldn't take it anymore. She sat down beside Steve on their dark grey couch and made him lay his head in her lap. Her back pressed against the armrest and Steve sprawled out on the rest of the couch, it was a touching scene that Bucky snapped a picture of.

Max ran her hands through Steve's hair for a long while, just like she had seen his mom do for him when he was upset.

Max took a deep breath before speaking. "She wouldn't want to see you like this. She would want you out there, living your life. Sure she would want you to miss her, but Stevie," Max hadn't called him that in years, "She would want to see you in classes, going out on dates, hanging out with your best friends. She wouldn't want you to grieve for the rest of you life."

Steve knew Max was right as he turned his head into her knee and let out a sob. Max continued to run her hands through his hair as she let him cry. Steve sat up and tried burying his face in his knees, trying to muffle the sounds of his sobs. Max sat forward and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight.

"I won't let you go. You need this too much," she whispered to him.

Bucky slowly joined them on the couch, sitting by Steve's feet and rubbing Steve's arm. Max and Bucky shared a look, knowing Steve was going to take some recuperating after this cry.

That was a few years ago. Now we were at the brink of war. I, Max, had finished mastering twenty types of martial arts and received my up in the military and training. Bucky was drafted for the war. Steve, on the other hand, tried to enroll but was denied based on his asthma alone.

Bucky and I tried to cheer him up but with both of us leaving soon, we had no idea what he would do without us. We would converse about it quietly in the kitchen while Steve wasn't home or was somewhere else in the house. We were worried about him, both of us knowing he would get hurt somehow.

"Bucky," I mumbled one summer evening while standing in the kitchen. "I don't want to leave him. Not that he's not a big boy and not that he can't handle himself, but dammit he can't handle himself. He gets in too many fights that he can't finish and I'm worried that if we leave we'll get a letter later on saying, 'We apologize for this turn of events but we regret to inform you that Steven Grant Rogers is dead.' I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if-if..."

Bucky pulled me to him and then held me at arm's length. He made me look into his eyes. "He'll be fine. He's lived without us before. He can handle himself, Max. You have to believe in him sometime."

"I do believe in him!" I exclaimed, stomping my foot. "It's not that I don't, but I'm just worried. He's always had one of us to back him up. What if we're not there to protect him anymore?"

Bucky sighed. "Then he'll figure it out himself."

I nodded in agreement, slightly reluctantly.

In our first run, Bucky was announced Sergeant of the 107th and I had become an agent, training the troops and taking notes. I was always at camp, keeping an eye on things.

When not hanging out with Bucky or doing my job, I spent time with Peggy Carter, a fellow agent just like myself. She had gone through the same programming, the same techniques. We were on the same level, meaning we had the same training. We were equals and stuck by each other like glue during our first run.

Eventually they gave us a break and sent Bucky and I home together. We were extremely excited to go home and see Steve.

When we arrived back in New York, we immediately met up with Steve, or at least tried to. We later found him in a back alley being beaten up by some other guy.

Bucky immediately rushed in to get the guy away from Steve. I followed behind, giving the guy another good punch before he staggered off down the street once more.

Bucky already had his arm around Steve and the three of us walked out of the alley together as if we had never been separated.

We later found ourselves at the exhibit happening about "the future" which presented Howard Stark, a new friend of mine through military details.

The boys went off on some double date while I went to go meet up with Howard.

"Howie!" I exclaimed, running up behind the stage.

"Doll face!" Howard exclaimed, smiling brightly at me. He wrapped me in a hug, squeezing me tight. "How've you been, when did you get back?!"

I smiled brightly at his enthusiasm. "I've been great! Bucky and I just got back today but we have to be back in less than a week." I pouted slightly.

Howard smiled. "Ah, that's no big deal, that's when I'm going in too, as long as the Doc finds the right person for his experiment."

I nodded, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "I hope he finds someone soon. We need this."

Howard nodded, agreeing. "Look doll, I've got to get out there soon and you should probably go hang out with Steve and Bucky. I'll see you later this week."

He kissed my cheek as I smiled and muttered a "Bye Howie!" before running off the stage and towards the audience, quickly finding Steve and Bucky.

As the evening progressed, Steve became more and more inclined to signing up once again. Bucky tried to get him not to do it, all three of us knowing he has no chances, but he was going to try anyway.

Eventually Bucky took off, saying goodbye to Steve who was about to enter the facility without saying goodbye to me.

I saw Dr. Erskine over Steve's shoulder but I didn't say a word except, "Excuse you young man, I do believe you're forgetting about one of your best friends."

Steve chuckled before turning back around and wrapping me in a tight hug. "I'm gunna miss you, Maxi."

"I'll miss you too, Stevie. And don't you dare stop trying. Sure, you may have lied four or five times on your entry form but that doesn't mean anything except that you're dedicated and you want to do this. I believe in you and I know you'll make it in." I smiled at my best friend.

Steve chuckled. "You sure about that?"

I laughed with him. "Absolutely positive."

"Don't think you could lend me a helping hand, do you? Give me a bit of a boost?" Steve prodded me with his elbow.

I sighed. "You know I can't, Steve. I wish I could but I can't. I know how much you want this but I can't do anything to help."

"Alright alright, stop rubbing it in," Steve messed around. "I'll see you by the end of the week, okay?"

"Yes sir!" I saluted him as he walked off. I walked toward the doctor. "I don't mean to be rude or anything Doc, but if you want anyone for your program, Steve Rogers is your man."

I smiled before walking away and trying to find Bucky.


	2. II Start

**Chapter 2**

My nudge to the doctor worked; Steve made it into the Super Soldier program. Not that I wanted Steve to change in any way shape or form, I love the guy for God sakes, but I knew that he'd be one-if not the only- person to not change after given the new advancements.

Steve went through training as Peggy and I broke in the new recruits. The doctor also asked me to help him and Howard out with the serum, making me a very busy woman. I never saw Bucky anymore as he and the rest of the 107th went out on a mission but Steve was still hard at training which was the only time that I got to see him.

He was doing decently well overall but was being true to himself, a very good _yes_ from the doctor.

Colonel Phillips and Doctor Erskine were discussing the candidates as the three of us walked toward Peggy's group of trainees, those including Steve.

"Have you chosen yet, Doctor?" Phillips asked. "And please don't tell me you were thinking about Rogers."

I immediately became deeply offended but kept my insults toward him to myself.

"I was more than just thinking about it," Doctor Erskine spoke up.

I smiled at his comment and snuck a glance at Steve who struggled to do a push up.

"Rogers, really? Hodge has passed every test we've thrown at him!" the Colonel exclaimed.

"Yes but I am looking for more than physical attributes." Doc explained.

"Hodge is a bully," I spoke my mind. "He shouldn't even be considered for the program."

The Colonel turned to both of us. "Let's see how this goes."

And then he pulled the plug on an empty grenade, immediately yelling 'grenade!' All of the men rushed out of the way, except for Steve who ran to the blank and threw his body over it.

I smiled at my best friend quite proudly and jotted down some notes.

"He's still skinny," the colonel remarked and walked away.

The next day, Peggy drove with Steve to the experimenting room while I helped Doctor Erskine and Howard set it up.

When Steve entered with Peggy, I smiled brightly at him and waved. He gave me a small wave back and descended the stairs following after Peggy. Dr. Erskine asked Steve to take off his hat, tie and shirt to which he did but seemingly uncomfortably.

Steve popped up into the chair and laid down. I walked over and held his hand, making him look at me. "If it hurts, yell okay?" I told him.

Steve nodded, wincing. I turned to go but he pulled me back. "Maxi." I sighed as he said my name and I took a long, long look at my best friend. "Don't let your opinion of me change. I'm still Steve."

I smiled. "I know that, honey bunches. Don't worry about me forgetting who you are because of all these new advancements; I would and could _never_ do that."

Steve smiled and let go of my hand, allowing me to return to the doctor who just told Peggy to go upstairs.

"So?" I asked Dr. Erskine.

"We should be ready to start very soon. Is he ready?" the doctor asked.

I nodded, "Yes, he's ready."

The doctor nodded again and I headed over to my station beside Howard. I would be working controls so I wouldn't be anywhere near Steve- Doctor's orders.

Once the penicillin was given and then the serum needles entered his skin, I had to look away. This was Steve and he was being hurt. I just couldn't watch.

Howard took hold of my hand and gave it a tight squeeze, pulling me back to reality and my job.

I smiled at him softly and returned to my job of controls. The doors closed to the machine meaning this was the last time I would ever see skinny Steve. My heart skipped a beat as I looked at the pod that held one of my best friends. I turned away and returned to the controls, knowing that Howard was looking over to me to see how I was doing.

"Okay, that's ten percent...thirty percent..." Howard reached seventy and Steve started yelling in agony.

"Let him out!" I all but yelled, trying to run towards the pod. Howard grabbed me back as I kicked and fought him to let me go. Peggy was yelling too but I couldn't hear her over my own fighting.

"No!" Steve's voice sounded throughout the lab. "I can do this!"

My heart broke at the sound of his voice. I immediately stopped fighting and Howard let me slide to the ground while he continued to turn up the power.

At 100, everything started sparking until the pod finished it's job. When it did, the doors opened and I rushed over immediately.  
"How do you feel?" I asked, worried, as I helped him out of the pod.

"Taller," Steve mumbled and I chuckled.

"Well you're certainly taller than me now." I smiled and he looked down at me, the first time he's ever done that.

"Yeah, you're short," he smirked and I punched his chest.

I shook my hand, "Damn that hurt. I should not have done that."

Steve chuckled as he was handed a shirt but I guess I wouldn't have minded staring at his abs all day... What am I saying?! This is Steve we're talking about!

I shook my head to clear my thoughts the second I heard gunshots. Peggy went after Senator Clemson while Steve and I knelt down beside the Doctor who poked at Steve's chest before closing his eyes and taking his last breath.

Steve looked like he was going to break but he went after the Senator instead. My heart lept knowing that this was still Steve and he still would have done it even if he was still a skinny bastard.

Steve didn't save the serum from Senator Clemson but he returned a hero.

"All we have left of that serum is in your DNA and my brain," I told Steve as we walked around the compound, going to meet up with Colonel Phillips.

After some yelling, some talking and some harsh words, Colonel Phillips laid down the law. "I wanted an army but all I got was you." and he walked away. His entourage followed him out while Steve and I stayed where we were.

I turned to my best friend, "You can't let him get to you, okay? You're still needed. This country needs you, I need you. No matter what the Colonel says, we'll find you something to do."

"In fact, why don't you help fight on one of the most important battle fronts there is of this war?" A new man, one of whom I don't know his name, spoke to Steve.

"Sir, that's all I've ever wanted," Steve responded, not knowing what he got himself into.

If I had known, I would have stopped him too.


	3. III War

**Chapter 3**

It's been quite a few grueling months without both Steve and Bucky, but I've gotten through it by being around Peggy and Howard- mostly Howard. We've gotten closer, and we're constantly working on new technologies together which is fun, also creating a round vibranium shield. Amongst it all, we've had our share of make-out sessions in that lab when it was just the two of us.

Howie was good looking, smart, and a little bit full of himself; but at least he knew who he was and was confident. It was all very attractive to me somehow, and I fell for his charms—just a little bit.

We even went on a few dates during the few months, technically making us a "couple," though neither of us really saw it as that. We couldn't call it a "fling" either, so really it was between the two.

We discussed my friendship with Steve a lot, talking about the good ol' times before the war. Howard liked to hear about the fun times that we had and I liked to hear about how he got into inventing. He was a very interesting man for sure.

We also talked about Bucky, who seemed to have been captured by Hydra which I continued to refuse to tell Steve through my letters, as well as my relationship with Howard, of which would be too awkward to explain in the first place.

He wouldn't be happy with me, but I can't just go out and rescue all those soldiers by myself with no one to back me up. I may be a good spy, but not good enough to do it all on my own just to bring Bucky back safe so he wouldn't know that he was ever captured.

It broke my heart that I couldn't do anything to save my best friend, but I had to sit on the sidelines. This was, as much as I hated to say it, a man's war. In the sense of course, that you would never ever see a woman in action and one doing so would be reprimanded beyond belief.

I _wanted_ to get out there and kick some Hydra ass but Colonel wouldn't let me, not at least until Steve came back. Which he did, only a month or so later, upon arrival, immediately turning and yelling at me for not telling him that the 107th regiment had been captured. He gathered a group of soldiers, including myself, to invade Hydra's base and bring our boys back home.

All went smoothly, or as smoothly as it could have. Some things definitely could have gone a lot better but most people were rescued and the base was destroyed. We returned to camp promptly and proudly, sporting our uniforms while Steve, Bucky and I lead the way.

Nothing could compare to that return to camp. Nothing filled my heart with more pride than that moment. And I'm proud to say that my best friends and I spent plenty of time together while planning to kick Hydra's ass. That is, all while we regained the friendship that strained over the past two years.

Steve became more equipped through Howard's technology, including gaining the vibranium shield. He also became the leader of his acquired group of soldiers-aka the Howling Commandos-who would go with him to other Hydra bases and take it down, one base at a time.

During one of those missions, Steve and his group were on a train to capture Dr. Arnim Zola who worked with Schmidt (Red Skull) and gain information.

Everything was going decently as Steve, Bucky, and Gabe Jones all landed on top of the train. The boys went inside as Gabe stayed on top, going to find the compartment that held Zola. Once he did, he broke the glass above it and jumped through, landing inside and smirking at Zola as he pointed his gun to him.

Steve and Jones brought Zola back to camp, though the entire time I kept wondering where Bucky was.

Once Zola was in questioning, Steve pulled me aside with eyes that told me this news wasn't going to be good. I could tell from the second they got back that something had gone wrong, very extremely wrong, and my gut was telling me the same thing.

He obviously didn't want me listening in on the interrogation, but he also had to tell me something.

I looked into those baby blue eyes and I knew immediately. "No..." I whispered. "Tell me it isn't true."

Steve hung his head and shook it before looking back at me. "Max..." he whispered, voice cracking and tears filled my eyes.

"No!" I yelled and more tears clouded my vision. I turned to hit something, anything. I began to punch the wall, not being able to see it clearly.

"He fell off the train, Max," Steve said, telling me how Bucky died. He moved closer to me, trying to calm me down without contact.

I kept hitting the wall, "I should have been there! I could have helped!"

Steve took hold of my arms, getting me to stop hitting the wall and turned me around to face him. "Max, you couldn't have done anything." He held me to him and I began to kick and hit him, trying to get out of his grasp, not wanting his comfort right now.

Our best friend was dead, how is he acting so damn calm?!

I kept beating on Steve's chest until I was out of energy and instead was just a mess of tears and sobs. I went limp against Steve who continued to hold on to me, even though I had been hitting him.

"Steve," I mumbled through my tears.

He wiped my eyes and cheeks so I could see him. "Yeah Doll?"

I smiled bitter-sweetly. "Don't leave me, okay?"

He nodded his head. "Never planning on it, Max."

I smiled and hugged him tightly, trying to take in his scent so I could remember it if anything happened to him.

"How are you holding up?" I asked, pulling away slightly and looking up at him.

He shook his head, looking like he wanted to cry but still not looking at me. "Not so great."

I cupped his cheeks and made him look at me. "I love you, Steve; you're my best friend. You're still that kid from Brooklyn who never gave up a fight even though he should have. You know you can trust me, you know I won't judge you. You just lost your best friend, do you really think no one here is going to understand that?" I took a moment to breathe because that was a lot of words. "Steve, you have every right to be upset and you don't need to put on a façade that you're okay because everyone knows that you're not."

His eyes searched mine, begging me to move some place a little more private. I sighed; this boy and his privacy.

We moved to the now-destroyed tavern, just because it was the closest empty space.

I took Steve's hands in my own and kissed both of them. Last time I did that, his hands were a hell of a lot smaller than they were now, so it was actually kind of awkward.

I looked up at him to see tears in his eyes as he looked down at the ground. "Stevie," I mumbled, wiping away a fallen tear. I then wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug as his larger frame hugged me back, him burying his face into the crook of my neck.

I wanted so much for us to stay there for all of eternity, just holding each other out of comfort, but something or someone always has to interrupt the moment. This time, it was actually Steve.

"I need a few drinks," he mumbled, releasing me and going behind the bar to get a few bottles of wine and vodka and whatever else they had back there.

He tried so hard to get drunk, he drank at least an entire bottle by himself but remained sober. We sat there, mostly in silence, just taking in the fact that our best friend was now dead.

And like before, someone always has to interrupt a perfectly decent moment.

Peggy walked in and we both looked over to her. Steve wiped his nose and sniffled, as if that would help with anything.

"I'm going to go," I mumbled and set my glass down before walking over to Steve, pressing my lips to the crown of his head and then walked away, passing Peggy who gave me a nod. I nodded back and continued out of the tavern, trying to get as far away from them as possible.

It hurt a lot seeing them together, liking each other. I knew Steve would never return my feelings but _damn_ , I wanted him to. But I also wanted him to be happy, and if that wasn't with me, maybe it could be with Peggy. I seriously hoped it would be.

* * *

Steve decided that the best thing for him to do was to go straight to Hydra's doors. And I was put on camp-arrest, making Howard babysit me.

God, Steve was such a pain sometimes.

But, I did get to spend more time with Howard so it was both a plus and a minus.

We waited with baited breaths to hear from Steve, only to find out that he had been outnumbered and captured by Hydra's forces, just like planned. Luckily, his team was there as they should have been while I still remained back at the compound.

I was pacing so much that Howie pulled me into his lap so I could just sit.

"Would you relax?" he asked, pushing a strand of my hair behind my ear. "Steve'll be fine; he always is."

"So was Bucky," I murmured, not looking at him.

Howie reached up and took my chin between his thumb and forefinger. "You couldn't have done anything else to help, you weren't there."

I sighed. "That's the problem. I should be there now, helping too, but I'm not. I'm here, _again_. A trained spy, ready for action, stuck in the compound."

He sighed at me and shook his head. "I don't understand you sometimes."

I smirked a little bit. "Good, you're not supposed to."

I decided to curl up in his lap and rest my head on his shoulder. He wrapped one arm around my waist, his hand on my hip and held my hand with the other. It was comfortable and tranquil, all that I needed to calm my aching nerves.

Only fifteen minutes later, Colonel Phillips ran in. "Oh good, you're both here. It's Rogers."

I shot up, eyes wide, and ran to the controls room. Howard jogged after me, Colonel following him.

When I got there, Peggy was on the speaker with Steve. I didn't want to interrupt so I stood by, listening to their conversation.

"Peggy, this is my choice."

I let out a small squeak, knowing that this wasn't going to be good.

"Tell Max I love her. Tell her that she's my best friend. She deserves to know," he said into the monitor.

I almost let out a wail, but I covered my mouth and kept it in.

"I'm gunna need to take a rain check on that dance."

"Alright. A week, next Saturday, at the Stork Club." Peggy responded.

"You got it." he spoke, trying to make small talk as he headed to his given doom.

"8 o'clock on the dot; don't you dare be late," Peggy spoke.

"You know, I still don't know how to dance," he said. Which was bullshit because I taught him how to dance for prom.

"I'll teach you. Just be there."

"We'll have the band play something slow. I'd hate to step on your-" And suddenly Steve's transmission cut off and I was in tears.

Peggy kept asking his name but I knew it, he was gone. I burst into sobs, screaming his name and tried running at the monitor but Howard grabbed me by my waist, holding me back.

I sobbed and sobbed, now being the Lone Ranger. I just lost my two best friends in the matter of a couple days.

I sunk to the floor, still crying, and Howard sunk with me, still holding me tightly. I sobbed into his chest, not knowing what else to do.

"I'm all alone now..." I mumbled out while Howie ran his hand from the top of my head, through my hair, and down my back, trying to soothe me.

"You're never alone," he whispered and kissed my temple.

I continued sobbing. "Not what I meant," I mumbled out.

His breath caught in his throat, and the only reason I knew it did was because I felt it. I knew he understood what I was saying, and he pulled me even closer now that he did.

I was by myself, my two best friends gone, my parents gone too, Steve's mom dead, and now have survived a war. No one will know what it was like to lose all of those you love and hold dear in just a matter of several years to forces you can't protect them from.

And then I cried harder, still not wanting to believe the truth.

* * *

Howie went on excursions, trying to find Steve's plane. While he did that, he also joined Peggy, Colonel Phillips, and I in creating S.H.I.E.L.D., which stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division.

S.H.I.E.L.D. was going extremely well, and it was useful to the entire world. We were very proud of our work and our agents, even though we didn't have that many.

We were based in the same campground as where we were during the war which induced some very prominent PTSD for me, though I tried not to let people see it. I was a strong female spy and I wasn't going to let people undermine me with the excuses they could come up with.

Howie eventually came back from one of his trips because I called him and begged him to. I missed him too much. I was feeling very lonely because Peggy decided that she needed more action in her life and decided to go to New York. Kind of ironic if you ask me, but I'm sure she also did it on purpose.

He came back quickly and I ran to hug him when he got to the compound.

"I missed you so fucking much," I mumbled into his shoulder, taking in the fact that he was actually here.

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around me too, kissing my head. "Well you called and begged for me to come back so here I am!"

I laughed and pulled away enough to look up at him. I had to stand on the tops of my toes to do this, but I pressed my lips to his, kissing him with a passion and a need. I found a kiss like this to be long, long overdue as we hadn't done so since...before Steve crashed the plane.

Howie kissed back and lowered his hands to my butt so I jumped up, wrapping my legs around his lower section and he held me up. He walked towards the nearest building, only a couple feet away and pushed my back against the wall, supporting me that way too. I moved my arms to around his neck so I could reach his hair easily, twirling it and running my hands through it, messing up his perfect gel.

"Damn I missed you," he muttered as we paused to take a breath.

"You have me for as long as you want me," I whispered back, my chest rising and falling heavily.

He smirked and looked into my eyes, taking in the fact that he was here. Or so I thought that's what he was doing. "You're not sure about this," he said carefully, like he was about to set off a bomb.

"What?" I asked, confused. I mean, I was a little wary about him being here, yes. I had called him during a panic attack, needing someone who could calm me down, and the only people who could do that were either dead or him—so I called him.

He sighed, looking down at the ground before looking back at me to speak. "You're nervous about something and you're wary about me being here. Max, what's up?"

I sighed. "I called you during a panic attack. I've been feeling very lonely and I just couldn't keep it in anymore, so I burst and I knew only one person could calm me down that wasn't dead and it's you."

He sighed. "I'm trying to find your boyfriend, Max. Me coming back wasn't necessary."

"Steve isn't my boyfriend!" I exclaimed, slightly angry. If he was my boyfriend, we may not be in this situation right now. "You are, Howard. Unless you've thought this entire time otherwise, you've been my boyfriend for a bloody year and a half!"

Howard looked like he just got slapped in the face with a fish. "What?"

I sighed angrily, "A year and a half, Howard! And the reason I stayed is because I actually care for you, unlike some of your other relationships."

He continued to stare at me, only blinking out of shock. Then suddenly he kissed me again, once again pushing me up against the wall as a support. I kissed back, once again entangling my hands in his hair. The kiss quickly became a full-on make-out session, complete with love bites and all.

I pulled away when I felt things were getting too far and I kissed down his jaw line slowly, calming us both down.

"How-" he started, trying to speak as his chest rose and fell heavily. "How did I not know about this?"

I snorted. "Because apparently you don't pay attention very well."

He chuckled and I kissed the spot where his jaw connected to his neck some more. "Howie, will you stay with me? Just for a little while?"

He chuckled again, "Well apparently I have an entire year and a half to catch up on so yes."

I smiled and kissed him once again, pulling away before he could deepen it.

We spent at least a complete 2 weeks together. It was nice to have him back, just for a little while. We were in his lab a lot, since I asked him to help me with something.

We were creating a pod that could freeze a person instantly for however long it took for someone to come and unfreeze them. I thought it would be good because technology to preserve a life could come in handy during the future.

And by future, I meant the end of his visit.

Somehow I knew that Steve couldn't be dead; he was frozen in ice somehow, somewhere, in the middle of an Arctic Ocean landscape. I didn't know how I knew, let's just call it best friends' intuition. However I did, I knew I needed to freeze myself too so Steve wasn't the only one from during his time.

Howard didn't know my intentions with the pod, he just really liked being there with me and I with him. He took me on a few more dates, spoiled me rotten, and kissed me at random moments.

I'd be sitting in on a meeting when he'd sneak up behind me and just kiss me then and there. Of course I'd get into the kiss, but people noticed quickly, making it hard to want more.

I also wanted more time with him. The weeks were too short, not enough time.

To make some memories, I decided to make us a candlelight dinner. I wanted to remember him at his best, in his smooth and charming element.

"Doll-face, you ready to go to-" Howard's voice cut off as he stepped into the room and I smiled.

"How about we have dinner here, okay?" My smile changed to a grin as Howard nodded and walked towards me.

He took my hands in his, looking down at me. "You look spectacular, Maxi. Really divine."

I blushed and giggled slightly, "Thanks Howie. Now c'mon, let's eat, I'm famished."

We sat down, him pulling out my chair for me, and began eating.

Howard hummed as he chewed, "Doll, did you make this? It's spectacular!"

I giggled slightly and swallowed the food I had in my mouth. "I did, thank you, Sugar."

We continued eating and talking, having a bit of dessert before deciding to do the dishes together. Howie was being handsy though I wouldn't let him do anything more than kiss me while we finished up cleaning. Afterwards though...that's when I was grinning and led him down the hallway to the bedroom.

Needless to say, it was pretty eventful.

* * *

Howard broke the kiss, both of us panting heavily. "Shit," he breathed and rolled to his side, angry with himself.

I groaned slightly, "Howard, you said you were going to-"

"I know what I said!" Howie exclaimed though he took one glance at me and bowed his head, resting his forehead on my shoulder. "I know what I said, Maxi. I'm sorry."

I sighed and reached up to his neck, twirling the ends of his hair around my fingers. "It's okay, we'll be okay. Maybe nothing will happen."

Howie shook his head. "No Maxi, you know that's not how it works."

I smiled softly and kindly at him. "I don't regret it, to let you know. I'm glad we did this; I've been wanting to do it for a while now with you."

He chuckled softly. "Yeah? You should've just asked, doll-face." His expression then turned stony and he looked at me, lifting his head to look into my eyes. "Maxine Doris Winters, we both know how this is going to end... How about I make it right and make you my wife?"

I blinked, not reacting to what he said. It took a minute or so for me to comprehend what he just asked me, and I looked down to even see that he had a ring in his hand. My mouth opened and closed as I tried to find the right words to say.

"H-Howie...I-I'm not sure..." I stuttered, knowing my plans would get in the way of anything he had planned.

Howie smirked, "C'mon Maxi, let me make this right. I can provide for you and our child. I can make you the happiest woman in the world. All you have to do is say yes."

I smiled again and closed his hands around the simple band. "Give that to a girl who deserves it, okay?"

He looked at me with a surprised face but I continued on before I could interrupt.

"Howie, I love you. I love you _so_ much...but I can't marry you." My hands rested on the sides of his neck while my fingers rubbed over his sharp cheekbones. "It's not that I don't _want_ to get married to you, but that I _can't._ I have something planned for my future and it doesn't necessarily include any room for changes."

He looked kind of...heartbroken. "So you're going to get an abortion then?"

I chuckled softly, looking down and away from his eyes, my head dropping as I smiled. "No, I won't do that. I'll keep the baby, if I have one. But Howie, that may be a while from now and who knows what'll be happening during that time."

He nodded his head solemnly. "You're right, Max. You're always right." He nudged my mouth open and kissed me again as we started all over again.


	4. IV Endings and Beginnings

**Chapter 4**

It was the way his dark eyes shone with emotions that only occur when you love someone. It was the way his hair glistened from the small amount of light coming from the window. It was the way his body heat fed me warmth as I froze under the covers of the currently shared blanket.

But most of all, it was the way he looked at me that night that I knew I was making the right decision.

I took in these moments and burned them into my memory so I would never forget the man laying beside me. The kind-hearted, occasionally arrogant, man laying beside me who was willing to drop everything and marry me after two weeks of knowing that we had been together for a year and a half. I wanted nothing more than to remember him in his prime, remember him for who he was and who he made himself to be.

And sending him off the next morning was probably the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life. Yes, leaving Steve the first time was hard. Leaving him (and Bucky) for a second time was harder. The third? Yeah, that was bad too. But leaving Howie? That was a very painstaking experience, as it was a matter of choice on my part rather than on consequences.

As I walked him to the train station, a small smile on my face and my fingers laced with his, thoughts ran through my head of what words I would say exactly. We remained in silence as he placed his luggage in a compartment and I waited outside the train. When he returned to me, he took my hands in his own and looked down at me, his expression one of a grimace and a sad smile.

"Maxi, I want you to know that things can be different. I can stay, we can raise this child together," Howie tried to change my mind.

I chuckled sadly and locked eyes with him. "Thank you, Howie, but I can't take you up on that. You're a smart man and I know you already know why I've said no." I smiled sadly and blinked back some tears. This was a man that I loved, completely and wholly ready to lay down and put his life on hold just for me, yet I just couldn't do that to him. "I love you, Howard. I need you to know that." I smiled again and cupped his cheek with my hand and he relaxed into my touch, closing his eyes and leaning his head closer to my hand. "You deserve a happy life with a girl who will make you the happiest you've ever been."

Howard opened his eyes and took my hand in both of his and kissed my knuckles. "I love you, Maxi and I know that you love me too. I hope you find everything you're looking for and that you accomplish everything that you want to."

I kept on smiling though tears were brimming in my eyes. Howie noticed and wiped away the fallen ones as I whispered "Thank you. For everything."

He kissed my forehead and held me tightly against his chest as I cried and wrapped my arms around his midsection. I continued to cry as he placed something around my neck and I pulled away to see what it was.

"To keep me with you for the rest of eternity." He smiled sadly after explaining. I looked down to see his ring on a chain around my neck.

"I have something for you too," I spoke as I looked through my purse for what I brought with me. It was a photo of the two of us, taken by someone at the base. We were in the middle of laughing, rather, I was and he was grinning, watching me laugh. It was one of my most favorite pictures and I even wrote a note on the back of it for him. I handed the frame over and he smiled, looking at it and holding it gently in his hands.

"This is...beautiful, Max. It's beautiful, just like you." Howard looked at me again and smirked slightly, "You know just how to make me feel some sort of way. I'm going to miss you."

I smiled sadly, "We'll see each other again, Howard. I promise you, and when I make promises, I keep them."

He chuckled softly and wrapped me in a hug just as the final whistle for boarding went off. I kept him in the embrace for as long as I could. He leaned down to kiss me before he pulled away all together.

"I love you," he said as he looked down at me.

I looked up at him and into his chocolate brown eyes, "I love you too."

He turned away and walked toward the train, stopping at the doorway and looking back at me. I smiled slightly and gave a short wave. The corner of his mouth tilted upwards and he waved back before climbing on to the train.

As it began to leave the station, I stayed put and watched it leave until I couldn't see it anymore. I gave one final wave before walking back to the base, now completely by myself, and constantly wiping my eyes to keep my vision clear. I didn't want to look like too much of a mess before freezing myself for the rest of eternity.

As I reentered the base, I tried to be as stoic as possible. Colonel Phillips saw right through my façade, but didn't say a word about it as he walked beside me.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, looking over at me.

Without hesitation, I responded, "Yes, I'm absolutely sure that I want to do this. I'll wait for eternity as a Popsicle if it means waiting for Steve."

Colonel Phillips didn't seem so sure. "Winters, what if this machine doesn't work?"

I sighed softly, "Then I guess we'll find out when we try it, right?"

He shook his head but we continued walking to the lab where the pod currently sat. I wrote my notes quickly to everyone who deserved some final words before turning to the colonel. He seemed faintly emotional but that could have just been my imagination.

"You know, I never got to ask you to walk me down the aisle," I said softly, smiling slightly.

He laughed, smiling as well. "I'll be there that day, I assure you."

I smiled softly, "Thank you, Colonel. For everything."

He nodded his head, not necessarily looking at me. "Of course, Max. I'll make sure to tell Agent Carter you said goodbye."

I smiled gratefully at him and then made the quick decision to give him a hug. He was surprised at first but hugged me back after a moment's hesitation. He pulled away when he wanted to and I saw him wipe his eyes as I did the same.

I smiled as I walked over to the pod and opened the door before stepping in, not wanting anything else to be the ending of this day.

Colonel Phillips walked over, smiling sadly. "Have a good sleep, Agent Winters."

I relaxed as he closed the door to the pod, and I felt my body temperature dropping as the pod froze me over. In less than a second, I was asleep, now frozen for who knows how long.

* * *

My pod was moved from base to base as S.H.I.E.L.D. grew and grew. Eventually, I remained in the same building (not that I knew, of course) as Nick Fury became the director of the agency.

After just about 70 years, Captain Steve Rogers was found and defrosted. Once Steve woke, Director Nick Fury walked the halls of S.H.I.E.L.D. to the only room in the entire facility that only he had access to. He placed his hand against the security system that checked his hand print. As it registered and the door slid open, Fury walked into the well-lit room with a single inhabitant. The pod that carried my sleeping body.

Fury opened the door of the pod, turning off it's systems. As I defrosted and my body heat returned, he waited for me to come to my senses. Once my blood was flowing again, I took a deep breath and opened my eyes to the unfamiliar light. I settled my breathing before looking up at the strange man in front of me and smiled slightly. "Hello, my name is-"

"Agent Maxine Doris Winters, co-founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. Yes, I know. I'm Director Nick Fury. Welcome to the 21st century; you've been asleep for almost 70 years."

Both of my eyebrows were now raised. "Only 70? Hmm, I honestly thought it would have taken longer..."

Nick chuckled slightly, amused. "We have new technologies now that you should get adjusted to before you go out into the real world again. And we should get you to a doctor because you're beginning to look a little pale."

I was beginning to loose balance and Nick caught me quickly, helping me out of the pod and walking me to the door where he continued to lead me to the medical wing.

Nurses rushed forward and took me into a separate room where a doctor began taking some tests about my vitals.

"Everything seems to be perfectly normal," the doctor told Nick as I groaned and held my stomach. "We're not quite sure why she's acting this way."

I groaned again, closing my eyes and felt my stomach hurt once more. I sat up quickly and shot off the bed, racing for a garbage can or a sink. I grabbed the prior item and threw up whatever my stomach could hurl after seventy years. Everyone in the room seemed to grimace as I finished puking and wiped my mouth.

"Is there a way that you can tell if I'm pregnant?" I asked, handing the garbage to a nurse who left the room with it.

The doctors and nurses shared a look before giving me a response. I showered first so they could do their tests which seemed like an odd way to find out how someone was pregnant. Peeing on a stick? Rubbing a monitor over your belly? Very weird ways indeed.

First I did the stick test, of which the doctor took from me to get the results before making me lay on top of a table as nurses lathered some sort of lubricant on my stomach. It was a cold substance and I didn't like it very much. Then there was some sort of monitor rubbed over my lubricated belly and the nurses wrote down the results. I looked away from the screen where the results were showed and to the window where Nick Fury stood outside waiting patiently.

Suddenly, the monitor was moved away from my stomach and the lubrication was wiped away as well. I turned my attention to the doctor as a nurse helped me sit up.

"Congratulations Ms. Winters," the doctor spoke as she took off her gloves, "You're pregnant."

She showed me the stick tests which all turned out positive and then the screen that showed me the small embryo-baby inside of me. I was completely stunned. Mostly from the technology, but also from the fact that even after all this time, I still got pregnant from my last night with Howard.

I had a couple questions for Nick that stuck in my mind as he led me to a personal room in the building. I only half-listened to what he was saying and became slightly confused when we stopped at the door to my new little dorm room.

"Were you actually listening to what I was saying, Agent Winters?" Nick sighed, looking down at me.

I smirked up at him, "No, no I was not. Besides, I learn better when reading things and someone nearby to explain what I don't understand. Just put all of what you said into a note for me and a to-do list that I'll get working on once I get settled. I just have a quick question though..."

Nick raised his eyebrow and I took this as his response for me to continue.

"Is Howard Stark still alive?"

The question caught Nick off-guard and it took him a few moments to compose himself and his thoughts. "Agent Winters, I regret to inform you that Howard Stark died about twenty years ago."

My eyes dropped to look at the floor and my expression to a look of sadness. "Oh. Thank you, Nick. That's-that's good information to know."

Nick hesitated before speaking again, this time with his own question. "Is he-?"

I sighed, "The father? Yes. Howard Stark is the father of my child."

Nick took a deep breath and seemed to hold it. It felt as if the truth had made the world stop turning.

"Look, you can't let that information out to anyone, Nick. No one can know about Howard and I, or the fact that I'm carrying his baby. Being pregnant will give me all the time I need to catch up on this century's technologies and events. I'll wait a few months after giving birth as well to get myself and the baby situated before meeting up with Steve again. It'll not only give him time to adjust, but I'll be able to focus on S.H.I.E.L.D. as well." I voiced my thoughts, making sure that Nick now knew my plan.

He nodded his head curtly, "We'll adjust to your every need, Agent Winters. I assure you that you will live in comfort for as long as you need to stay here."

I thanked him with a smile and he walked off. I turned and pressed my hand against the scanner and my door slid open, revealing a bed that was pressed against the back wall, a large window, an attached bathroom, and a small kitchen that resided beside a very flat television.

I pressed my back against the closed door, going over what Fury said in my head.

 _"I regret to inform you that Howard Stark died about twenty years ago."_

Twenty years. Only twenty years. I slid down to the floor, my body folding as I began to cry. I was twenty years too late. Too late to say goodbye, to tell him that I loved him, too late to see him one last time, to late to keep my promise.

My hand closed around the ring on the chain around my neck and I sobbed a little harder, practically wailing.

"I'm sorry, Howie. I'm so, so sorry."

 **A/N: Sooooo... that's the end of Mowie (or should we have a different ship name? Leave suggestions in the comments!) And before y'all start coming up with ship names for Max and Steve (tbh I'm surprised you haven't already) I've got some options...**  
 **1) Stax**  
 **2) Sax**  
 **3) Meve**  
 **4) Mave**  
 **5) Masteve**  
 **6) Stemax**  
 **Idk, comment any more suggestions or personal opinions on the choices in the comments below. Thanks for reading!**


	5. V Solidity

**Chapter 5**

Everything was going smoothly and as planned. Nick helped me navigate through the building often, as well as through all of S.H.I.E.L.D. He also introduced me to a few key people including Agent Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, and Agent Natasha Romanoff. I was grateful for the introductions seeing as these people were the ones who constantly checked up on me, especially Nat who visited me whenever she wasn't training or on a mission.

Clint would often join her on these visits and we would constantly spend our time touring the building or pigging out in my room while watching movies from the past 70 years.

On an obscure day, I felt vaguely comfortable walking around the building by myself just to keep up some exercise. With my hands on the baby bump from the 14 weeks into my pregnancy, I exited my miniature apartment and started to do a few laps around the floor, moving up and down each floor of the building. I supposed that the cameras were keeping an eye on me, as they moved every time I walked by.

I'm an agent, not a helpless civilian. I still notice things.

I mindlessly tapped my stomach (even though it was still pretty small) as I continued my walk, yet suddenly felt everyone around me begin to tense, as if they were getting a message that I wasn't receiving. Operatives were giving me sideways glances, not sure what to do. I looked around nervously. Had I done something wrong?

I continued walking, glancing around slightly just when I felt an arm wrap around my shoulder, a baseball cap placed on my head, and someone standing extremely close to me as they walked beside me.

"Pick up your speed a bit and keep your head down." The voice spoke in a low tone as I recognized it was Nat and I obeyed, picking up speed.

We returned to my apartment in a very rushed manner as she made me run a little ways just to get there. She began pacing around my small kitchen area as I took off my sneakers and placed them neatly on my mat by the door. Thankfully Nick had provided me with a credit card (not that I got out much) and time to go to the mall, with Nat and Maria, to get new clothes and other things upon my arrival. Once it came closer to my due date, he said he'd go out and get baby stuff for me but for now I was stuck here.

I walked over to the island and leaned against it, crossing my arms to keep myself propped up. I watched her pace silently and waited for her to speak.

After a few more moments of pacing, Nat turned on me. "Why didn't you tell one of us you were going on a walk?"

She tried to speak calmly and coolly but it came out almost as an accusation.

I shrugged, "You all have eyes and ears on me at all times; there was no reason to. Besides, since when did you care about if I went on a walk or not?" I raised an eyebrow, very curious now.

Nat huffed, throwing her arms up slightly, "I care since you almost ran in to Steve!"

Now, Nat's a trained spy and knows not to let vital information slip. She knows not to let her mouth get the best of her. All of which was probably why she was so surprised that she let it slip.

She covered her mouth, eyes wide. "You weren't supposed to know that." I supposed she saw my eyes travel to look at the counter top. "I'm sorry, Max. I didn't mean to blurt that."

I gave her a half smile. "It's okay, Nat. I'm used to it."

She walked up to the other side of the island and leaned against it before taking one of my hands in her own. "He misses you, you know. Every day he asks about you and Peggy. He asks how you were doing, how she was doing." She gave me a solemn look and I had to advert my eyes again. "You're still important to him, Max. He needs you."

I was getting a bit angry now. "You don't think I know that? You don't think I know how much he probably misses me? Me, his only surviving best friend? Me, the girl he was raised with? Me, the girl who always had his back? You don't think I want to be there with him, every step of the way?" I sighed and closed my eyes, calming myself back down before looking into Nat's piercing eyes. "I did this to myself, Nat. He can't know that I'm pregnant but I oh-so-badly want him to know that I'm okay. I don't want to lie to him, and I certainly don't want to be separated from him for so long."

I stopped talking and tried to hold back the tears that were forming behind my eyelids. Nat squeezed my hand from her position across the table as I let out a blubbering sob.

"He's my best friend, Nat. I hate to be separated from him for so long but I brought this upon myself. I knew what would happen if I froze myself after the, um...that one night... and yet here we are, me blubbering because I can't see Steve on my own accord." I sniffled as I lowered my head to rest against our clasped hands, forgetting that her hand was wrapped around mine.

Nat rubbed circles on the back of my hand with her thumb as I let the tears fall down my face. As my cry-fest continued on, I heard my apartment door slide open and the person who entered stop in the doorway. I looked up and, through my teary vision, saw Clint standing in the doorway with a box in his arms and a frown gracing his lips.

"C-Clint," I choked out and he set the box on the ground, the frown still on his perfect pink lips as he walked towards me. With a gentle gesture and soft hand, Clint brushed the hair covering my face behind my ears. Nat released my hands from across the island as Clint used his thumbs to wipe away my tears. I kept my eyes closed as he did so, trying to squeeze out the remaining tears as another sob wracked my body. After the tears plaguing my cheeks disappeared, Clint cupped my left cheek with his hand, and leaned forward to place a kiss on my forehead. Maybe it was his fatherly instincts, maybe it was the fact that I was a blubbering pregnant woman, or maybe I reminded him of Laura. To be completely honest, I don't know and I won't know and I'm okay with that.

I wrapped my arms around him tightly only to receive a tight hug back. I desperately needed this and I think he knew that -or figured it- too. Nat stepped back for a moment and occupied herself by doing the dishes as Clint and I remained in a tight hug.

Once I felt extremely better, I pulled away, chuckling slightly, and smiled up at him. "Thank you, you have no idea how much I needed that."

Clint shrugged, as if it was no big deal. "You're welcome, Max. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me."

I smiled and then remembered the box he brought in. "So what's in the box?"

Clint chuckled and moved to go pick the box up. "Just some stuff Laura asked me to bring you. She said she had lots of extras laying around and she knows how much it would mean to you if I brought them. Her words, not mine." He handed it over to me and I placed it on the counter tearing it open as soon as I could find my scissors to cut the tape.

Inside was a pile of onesies for each size range and clothes for once my child would be grown enough, as well as a stack of baby books and an empty photo album and camera. Both Clint and Nat were looking on with interest as I began to tear up again, but this time was with happy tears.

"Please tell her that I love it and that she's amazing. This is literally one of the best gifts anyone has ever given me." Clint smiled and side-hugged me before allowing me to close the box and set it aside.

"Have you gone to the doctor's recently?" Nat asked as I put the box on top of my beginning-to-grow baby equipment.

I shook my head, "No, I'm not supposed to go until later today. They wanted to see how I would do with a few weeks off instead of keeping me consistently monitored."

Nat nodded her head and I shrugged as the three of us fell into a silence. I walked around the island and to the fridge, searching for something to eat, something I could have to settle my stomach but there was nothing to my interest.

"Shopping trip?" Clint asked, peering into the fridge from his side of the island.

I shook my head, closing the fridge door. "No, I'm just desperate for some chocolate-drizzled kettle corn and I have none."

"That's very specific," Nat commented, nodding her head.

I laughed, "Yeah, when Steve, Bucky, and I were teenagers up through college, we used to go to the fair and carnival a lot and the boys would each buy me a bag of chocolate-covered kettle corn so I had enough at home until the next trip."

Clint and Nat shook their heads, smiling to themselves.

"Well, we can't necessarily bring you any kettle corn from that time, but we can go out and get the ingredients we need for your snack." Nat offered and I smiled gratefully at that.

"Thanks guys, I'd really, really appreciate that."

The two of them nodded before heading out the door. Before it could completely shut behind her, Nat stuck her head back in to remind me, "If you go out on a walk again, let Fury know so he can divert Steve."

I rolled my eyes but agreed, sitting myself down on my couch once she left again.

And that's how it was for the next 8 months. I'd take walks around the building (making sure to inform someone), I'd go to my doctor's appointments with Nat and occasionally Clint, I'd sit in my apartment with the two of them while usually eating food that they brought for me, Fury would stop by with the slowly increasing amount of baby stuff until I had all that I needed.

And then the baby came.

It was unexpected for the time and I was extremely grateful to have Laura on call because who knows what would have happened.

I was up in the middle of the night to take a walk when my water broke. I took my time walking back to my room to get my phone and text Fury, Nat, Clint, and Laura while changing into new underwear and a better nightgown. I packed one of Steve's shirts that Nat stole for me and a pair of sweatpants into my hospital bag. I walked around a bit, trying to just keep myself moving. It's not like this was weird but it was weird, and I didn't feel ready enough for this moment to be actually happening.

After about 15 minutes, I heard four pairs of pounding feet racing towards my room. Fury, Nat, Laura, and Clint all forced themselves into my room, while I continued to just walk around. Nat looked slightly frantic, Nick seemed slightly worried, and Clint seemed to be calm but his eyes gave him away. Laura was the only one who knew what was best. She smiled and walked over, giving me a tight hug.

"You're going to be such a great mom," she whispered into my ear.

I smiled and hugged her back, "Thank you, you have no idea how good that makes me feel."

We both chuckled before she sat me down on the bed. "How're your contractions?"

I shrugged, "They're fine, but they're speeding up. Not quite at speed yet but it's only started so I'm not sure."

She nodded before getting up. "You should keep walking, it'll help the baby move itself a bit on it's own. Do you want something to eat? You won't be able to once we get you to the Med Hall."

I smiled gratefully at her. "You're such a godsend. I'm really up for chocolate chip pancakes, actually."

Laura pointed at Clint and made him actually do something. Clint rolled his eyes but the smirk that spread across his lips betrayed him. Nat went to make sure my bag was packed properly while Fury checked the crib to make sure it was sturdy.

I walked through my contractions and even ate my pancakes while I waited for my contractions to speed up. It wasn't until they hit one every five minutes that I was moved to the Med Hall.

From there, it was basically smooth sailing. Well, except for the pain, pushing, and necessary forces needed to push a child out of my vagina. I was grateful the doctors let me do whatever was comfortable for me and that the baby's delivery happened pretty quickly.

On August 17th, 2012 at 3:47 AM and weighing in at 5lb and 4oz, James Howard Margaret Winters was born.

I was the proud mother of a beautiful baby boy who would be my everything for the next 80 years of my life. I brought this life, this small human being, into the world and was happy he was mine.

I cried tears of joy as my doctor handed James to me, his small face slightly discolored and chubby, but still cute. I heard the snap of the camera as I did throughout the birth. I looked up to see Nat smiling proudly, holding the Polaroids in her hand and shaking them while Clint was placing them into the baby book. I'd edit those pages later.

I smiled and beckoned them all forward, all of them crowding around the bed as I held little James in my arms. Laura ran her finger down James' small red cheek and looked up at me. "So, who're his godparents?"

I laughed, "Well, you all, of course! You've been my saving graces since day one and I want you to always be in my life and in James' life. He'll have two of each." I grinned up at my small friend group and couldn't help but shed a few tears of pure joy. "I'm just so fucking thankful for you guys, you have no idea."

Laura gave me a side hug and Nat hugged me too. I was an emotional mess and was just grateful for my new additions to be a part of such a big piece of my life.

 **A/N: Ahh! The baby! I was so excited while writing this chapter because I just couldn't wait for Max to be a mom, and I was also super excited to write more about Clint & Max's relationship (he's like her dad lol). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and keep voting on ship names (in the previous chapter)!**

 **XOXO**  
 **Alex**?


	6. VI Thick & Thin

**Chapter 6**

It's been a few months since James was born and it's been a bit hellish around HQ. Between spending time with James, keeping James occupied while getting back into working, and all of the time hiding from Steve, it was a lot to handle. But generally, things were good. I took James to the park often, or would spend the weekend out at Clint's and Laura's house for some fresh air, and sometimes stopped by the old places Bucky, Steve, and I would hang out if I crossed from Manhattan to Brooklyn and then back again.

I was getting back into my usual training schedule too, though more intense so I could be more prepared for this world's villains.

Around this time was the Battle of New York with the Avengers VS Loki, Norse god of mischief. I worked from behind the scenes, staying out of sight but providing intel and help.

I kept getting more and more times to catch Steve, but I stayed away, hiding in the shadows because I almost always had James with me. Can you say cockblocked much?

Things died down with work after the battle but things picked up in my personal life as James' Birthday was getting closer. He'd be turning one and I wanted to throw him a party. It would definitely only be with Laura, Clint, the kids, Natasha, Mariah, Phil, and Fury, so I would try to do it at Clint and Laura's house, I suppose, just like James' first Christmas.

That was a good time too. It had only been four months after he was born but we continued to get showered with gifts when the holidays came around. Christmas was more for everyone to celebrate with James and just spend a nice family evening with him and all nights of Hanukkah was more for just the two of us. Either way, everything turned out great, it really did.

On to James's birthday. I wanted to celebrate with him in a simple way, nothing huge. First, having to see if Clint and Laura were free on that day...

I walked out of the room and practically ran into Nat. We both laughed a little bit and started heading around the floor. "So what's up?" I asked, knowing she probably had a reason behind coming to visit.

She shrugged, "I just wanted to know if you were doing anything for James' birthday. You were talking about it but I wasn't sure."

I shrugged, "Yeah maybe a small get-together. I wanna see if Clint and Laura would mind if I use their place, just yard-wise. Or maybe I'll just rent something out. Either way, see if that day's available to them."

Nat nodded her head as we walked, "You're looking good, by the way. I know it's been a year but you really threw yourself getting back into shape."

I shrugged, "An agent has to do what she has to do." We smirked at each other and stepped into the elevator to head down to Clint's nesting ground.

Once reached, I climbed up to him, Nat and I racing to see who would get there first. Landing next to Clint and Nat landing a split second after me, I smirked at her and she playfully rolled her eyes.

"What do you two want?" Clint asked, giving us a side-eye and a small shake of his head.

I sat down with my legs crossed and faced him. "Are you, Laura, and the kids free on the 17th?"

Clint looked over at me, the mention of James' Birthday catching his attention. "For James's party? Yeah."

I looked over at Nat with a little bit of a gape and she shrugged.

"We talk, what do you expect?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "Cool, I'm going to go book a pavilion or something and then send out invitations so y'all don't forget." Giving them a pointed look, I swung my way back down to the floor and into the elevator.

I made it to my apartment and walked over the island, laptop in hand. I set it down and then walked over to James' crib, smiling as I rubbed his tummy to wake him up. "Hi baby," I cooed. "Time to wake up now!"

James blinked as he opened his eyes and giggled at me. I brought him over to the island and bounced him in my lap as I opened up the computer and made it to an online e-vite site. Choosing a few formats, I let James choose whatever he wanted to. "Good job, baby," I smiled and gave him a high-five before continuing on and filling out the necessary information. After the invite was nearly complete, I called the parks administration and booked a pavilion and playground area in the city.

Following right after, I added the information of the pavilion and then sent the invitations, lifting James up and cheering. He giggled and I decided to spend some well-needed time with my boy by taking him out on a walk. I got dressed in the proper clothing for a New York summer's day- a baby-pouch tank-top and a pair of workout capris. Throwing my hair up, I took James from his crib and sat him in the stroller, locking him in. I put on a baseball cap and sunglasses before texting Nat to say that I was taking James out around Central Park.

I left my apartment and mumbled to James, "We really need our own place, don't we baby? It'll be easier to get around that way."

James jumbled in agreement and I smiled, getting down the hallway quickly. Footsteps fell in sync with mine and I didn't mind it until the person started talking.

"Out for a stroll, are we?"

The voice belonged to the one and only Phil Coulson.

I sighed, stopping in my tracks and facing him, "Yes, Phil. Would you like to join me?" I offered, not wanting him to join but knowing that he was going to anyway.

"That would be lovely, Ms. Winters, thank you for the invitation," Phil smiled and then we continued on, me leading him to the park. Once there, I sat on a bench and let James out to crawl around a bit, now that he was moving like a little cruiser but never had the space to do so. Phil and I sat and watched him play on the blanket and crawl around.

I turned to him after a few minutes, "So why'd you join me, Phil?"

He smiled again, "Just to ask you a couple questions if you don't mind."

I nodded my head,"Sure, go ahead."

The excitement that spread across his face was unmatchable. "Just tell me if you don't want to answer, okay?" I nodded again and he continued on, "What was it like, growing up with Captain Rogers?"

I laughed and looked over at my baby to keep an eye on him. "It was great. Steve, Bucky, and I were the greatest trio in all of Brooklyn. We came from different backgrounds but that didn't matter because we were friends, the best of friends, actually." I chuckled again, "Steve always got into a fight, sometimes more than once a day. He was _so_ scrawny back then. 5'4" I think, if I remember correctly. He held his own, most of the time, but the boy never quit when he should have, often forcing Bucky and I to help him out. We each came out of our youth with our fair share of scars and bruises."

Phil moved on to the next question, "What was the war like? From your perspective, at least."

I sighed. "We were late, that's what I remember. I remember living in my apartment with the boys and thinking that the U.S. should have already been a part of the war. I had been training as an agent and spy since the day I got out of high school and wanted my skills to be put to use in the battlefield. Of course, that didn't happen when we got to camp because I was put on training duty while Bucky was out on tour and Steve was a contestant for the Super Soldier program. Once Steve was modified, everything changed. The whole dynamic of the camp seemed flipped. We had men getting captured, Steve was away doing his _stupid_ commercials. It was all a mess. But then he came back, brought home the 107th, and brought Bucky back with him. That's when the action started and Captain America was really in his element. Everything seemed right. We were winning, at least from our point of view. Yeah, we won. But they didn't mention what we lost, either."

With a sigh, I lifted my eyes from the ground and back to James. "We lost a lot of great men during the war, and I lost both of my best friends within a matter of days. Those days were hard, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. You don't know loss until your entire foundation is pulled out from underneath you, taking everything you hold dear with it."

Phil nodded and let that sink in. "You worked with Dr. Erzkine, did you not?"

I smiled and looked over at him, "I did. The Doc was a really sweet man, and I wish he could see what Steve accomplished, that he chose the right man. The process of creating the serum was downright difficult and also, not written down anywhere, but we had Steve and that was all we needed for the time. Personally, if _every_ soldier had gotten that serum, this country would be filled with entitled bastards who would keep trying to fix things themselves but too old to do it nowadays. Well, too old or dead."

Phil laughed with me, and we returned our attention to James who didn't go far but was still a good distance from the blanket. I ran over and picked him up before something could happen to him or he could go farther.

I brought him back, letting him play on the blanket again and returning to my seat next to Phil.

"I just have one more question," Phil said and I nodded, looking over at him. "When're you planning on telling him?"

I sighed and shook my head, looking over at James. "Soon, definitely soon. After James' birthday, actually. I miss Steve and it's been two years since I got defrosted. It's about time I make myself known, but having James... James complicates things. I don't want people knowing about him until I tell them myself. And I certainly can't tell the rest of the Avengers until I'm positive that they're actually a team and are trustworthy enough to know about him and not blab when things go wrong."

Phil raised an eyebrow, "Does that include Captain Rogers?"

I shook my head, "Yes, it sadly does. But Steve's is also more than just about James. If he knew that I've been back since he's been back, he'd kick my ass into limbo."

Phil smirked and nodded his head, both of us looking over at James. "He's a cute one that you've got," Phil said fondly.

I smiled, "Yeah. I just wish he didn't look so much like his dad..."

Phil looked at me with a confused expression on his face.

"Howard Stark. We were together for a year and a half. Could've been for life if I didn't say no." I shrugged sadly, swiftly wiping my fallen tears away and gripped the ring on a chain Howard had given me so long ago, holding it tightly.

I was definitely not over Howard and I don't think I would be any time soon. The pain still feels like it was just yesterday.

Which gave me a good idea about what to do with James today.

After a while at the park, Phil and I took James back. I changed out of the outfit I was in and into a black dress, placing a veil and hat on my head. I changed a sleeping James into a set of black pants, white t-shirt, and a baby blazer. I packed him in the stroller again, packing extra snacks for where we were going and the trip time.

I texted Nat and she met me outside the door, smiling softly.

"You really want to go through with this?" she asked.

I nodded, "I do. I still haven't gone myself and I want to. I need to start getting over him. And James... I know Howard would want to meet his little boy."

Nat smiled and I smiled too as she led me to the chopper. The cemetery was far away but it wouldn't be too long with the chopper.

The chopper landed in D.C. about an hour and a half later, which James slept the entire time for. As the chopper landed, James woke up which was good because we had a car waiting for us to take us to Arlington which was a few minutes away by terms of driving.

Nat squeezed my hand as we got in the car and I smiled gratefully at her as I bounced James in my lap, keeping him occupied for the ride.

We got directions to Howard's gravesite and made our way there. It was a bit of a trek and we had to walk past and through all of the tourists, but we eventually made it.

Smiling sadly, I knelt down with James in my arms and placed a single rose on Howard's grave, placing a heart-shaped rock beside it. James dropped his own small pebble and flower and I smiled at my baby boy, moving his pebble and flower to sit with mine. I looked over my shoulder and Nat was standing by the walkway, giving me space.

"Howie," I sighed, looking back at the headstone and running my hand down the side of it. "I miss you, you know. I miss you a lot. I'm sorry that we didn't get to grow old together but hey, I kept my promise. I got to see you one last time."

The tears fell out of my eyes involuntarily. I let out a sob, squeezing my eyes closed and holding on to James. "And this-this is your son. His name is James. James Howard Margaret Winters. He's mine, you see, but he's yours. He's all yours. Howie, he's so much like you already. He looks exactly like you despite all of my pleading to God above, and he's a quick thinker, just like you. He's a huge sweetheart and damn, I wish we could raise him together, Howie. I don't regret my choice but everyday I wonder what it would be like to have spent my life with you."

I sighed, cleared my throat, and continued on, "And I know that I need to stop thinking about it and that I should be grateful for what I have and I am. I really, truly am. I just wish you were beside me for his milestones, that you were standing beside me to see it all happen."

A soft wind brushed across my face, blowing my hair back. I smiled gently and blinked the oncoming tears away. "I love you too, my dear."

As I stood up, James said "Dada," his first word.

My jaw dropped slightly and I shifted James in my arms. "What was that, baby?"

"Dada," James said again, pointing to Howard's grave.

I couldn't help it, a sob released from my body and I held him tightly to my chest. "That's right baby. That's your daddy. And you said your first word! Good job, baby."

Nat saw my distress and walked over, taking James from my arms as I crouched beside Howard's stone again. "You hear that, Howie? He called you dada. You were his first word." I smiled to myself and kissed the stone, leaving a lipstick stain in my wake. I wiped my eyes and walked back over to Nat and my son before leaving Howard's grave.

We returned to SHIELD and it was about time Nat and I got dinner as it was an emotionally draining trip and I even had to scavenge my purse for snacks for James because he got so hungry and had already eaten his other snacks that I didn't have anything else for him.

We ordered Chinese food on our way in, picked it up, and brought it back to my apartment to do movie night. I changed into comfort clothes and then changed James, feeding him a little something and holding on to him as Nat and I ate and he fell asleep.

I settled him into his crib and then returned to Nat on my couch, pulling a blanket over me and working on my lo-mien. "So," I said as I sucked in a noodle. "I was thinking about getting an apartment. Probably in Brooklyn so it's still in the city, but a larger place for James and I to live. I can't keep him cooped up here for the rest of his life and he's getting bigger now that he needs space to run around."

Nat nodded in agreement, "I think that's a great idea. It'll be harder for you to find an on-sight sitter and you're going to have to do some digging for schools and day cares but we'll get through it."

I smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks Nat. I appreciate your support. And if you could get Clint to come along, just as another pair of eyes, I'd really appreciate it."

She nodded and we went back to the movie, eventually finishing off our dinners and parting ways, giving me the chance to fall asleep.

For the rest of the week, I was a mess of party planning and apartment searching.

Honestly, I looked like a college student all over again. Nat even commented on it when she stopped by the day before James' party. I knew that I looked like a total wreck but I was still stressing out about it.

Mariah took James off my hands for the day, saying that she just wanted to help out, but I knew it was Nat's doing so I could have some me-time. During my now-free time, I showered and changed into joggers and a t-shirt, throwing my hair into a bun and sitting at the island in front of my computer. With a pencil stuck into my bun and a pad of paper by my writing hand, I got to making a checklist for decorations and food which I would have to go buy tomorrow before the party. I set a reminder for myself to pick up the cake while I was out as well.

I wrote all of this down and when it was done, set it aside happily. Next thing on my personal to-do list: make progress in getting over Howard Stark.

With that, I decided to search him up, to find all of his accomplishments and his careers, and to just learn about the life he lived. All of this was done as I played with the chain around my neck.

I found many wonderful things, which helped to ease my guilt in area of accomplishments. I found out that he was an alcoholic at one point in his life and that just made me sad. When I knew Howie, sure, he liked a good drink but he didn't drink compulsively.

As I continued going, I realized that the Howard Stark that lived after I left was a different man than the one I was with back in 1943. It was as if the man I was reading about was a shell of the one who fathered my child. My heart broke a little bit more and I shut my computer, letting the tears stream down my face and the sadness overwhelm me.

Whatever it took, I was going to remember Howard and the man that I knew him as. Sweet, cocky, aggressively adorable, intelligent, wholesome, and genius man who proposed to me the night before he left. _That's_ who I was going to remember, that's who he would always be to me.

I sniffled and wiped my eyes with my arm, reaching for the tissues to blow my nose. I got over myself and calmed down, deciding that a bottle of water and some ice cream was needed. So I pulled those items out and went back to my computer, snacking as I searched up more things I could catch up on, culture wise.

I clicked on Jane the Virgin and decided to binge watch.

* * *

James's party was today and I was running around like a crazy woman, gathering everything that he would need in the diaper bag which tucked in the shelf on the stroller. Then I got my own stuff together in my purse before changing into jeans and a white t-shirt and then changing James into jeans, a green t-shirt, and cute sneakers that Fury bought for him in advance.

I rolled the stroller out of the apartment, quickly rushing back in to get my purse and phone. Then I headed back outside to a SHIELD car and strapped James into the car seat, folding the stroller up, then getting behind the wheel. Luckily I had gotten my license after I had James so everything was legal. It was a few hours before the party and James and I were flying to go pick things up. We stopped for decorations first, then picked up the cake, then got the other food, including snacks.

Driving to the pavilion was hard because there were many in the park and I couldn't quite tell which was which. I eventually found it and pulled everything out of the car, laying out a few blankets on the ground for James so he could play with his toys as I set up decorations.

All the refrigerated things remained in a cooler in the car as I hung decorations and blew up balloons. As time was getting nearer, everything looked put together and I began to set out food.

Guests began arriving amongst the few that I invited. Mariah and Phil showed up together, Nat and Clint showed up as well, then Fury and then Laura with the kids. I smiled happily and thanked them all for coming. We chatted and munched on food as the kids ran around and James tried to join in.

About 3/4 of the way through, we gathered the kids and sat James in a high chair to sing happy birthday to him. Nat held the camera as I brought James's personal cake to him and we began to sing. He pounded happily on the board in front of him until I blew out his candle for him and he smashed his fist into the cake, then smashing his face into it. I kissed his head and he bobbed my nose with his cake-covered hand. I laughed and took the frosting off his nose and licked it off my finger. This made James giggle and I was glad Nat was catching the whole thing on the camera.

We cut cake and celebrated a little more, and opened up gifts (I had to change James's clothes because he had cake all over him) before we cleaned up the rest of the food which was not mostly all over James. I did the best that I could with baby wipes to wipe down the table and then continued to clean up everything else. We packed up decorations and the left over food before all going our separate ways, departing with hugs.


	7. HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE

**A/N: in honor of Steve's 99th birthday, here is a dedicated Steve's Birthday chapter. Enjoy!**

James sat laughing at me as I ran around the kitchen snagging ingredients. I hadn't thought about how much time I was going to need to actually prepare for the celebration. I had always had Bucky to help me out but now I only had myself...and a giggling toddler.

The baking process was generally easy, it was just what I expected it to be. A few eggs here, a couple cups of flour there, put it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit... wallah! A beautiful vanilla cake.

Which is not what happened.

When I pulled out the cake from the oven, I groaned and glared at the charred piece of bread laying in my pan.

"I cooked it for too long." I grumbled.

I walked over to James and took out some of the less burnt section and put it on the tray of his highchair. He ate it right up as I tossed the rest of the cake away. I began the baking process again, glancing worriedly at the time. I still had to get the decorations, and frost the cake, get my outfit together... I had a lot to do and only a few hours to do it.

As the mixer did its job with the new batter, my phone buzzed and I checked it only to see a text from Tony.

 **Hey, need anything for the party?**

I let out a relieved sigh. He was a literal life saver.

 _ **Can you pick up some 4th decorations and come over early to help set them up? I want everyone here early so we can surprise Steve.**_

I got a quick response from him.

 **You did tell him that it was just a 4th of July party, right?**

I rolled my eyes.  
 _ **Of course I did. I'm not stupid.**_

Tony sent me back emojis of the crazy-eyed-tongue-out emoji (?) and I chuckled before stopping the mixer and pouring the fresh batter into the pan to bake for another 15-20 minutes. During that time, I cleaned James up again and double checked that his bag for the sitter's was all set. I cleaned up his room a little more and locked the door after I exited with the bag so that no one could accidentally sneak into his room later tonight.

I took the cake out and let it sit on top of the stove, pulling off the oven mitts and sliding on my flip-flops, picking up James, and his bag, going to drop him off at the sitter's house.

It was such a relief when I found this girl who was completely willing to babysit whenever I needed her. I made sure to pay her extra for all the stuff she's had to put up with.

Annie greeted me happily as I pulled into her driveway and she took James, bouncing him on her hip, his bag on her free arm.

"So what is it that you've got going on tonight?" Annie asked, smiling slightly.

I laughed, leaning against the car. "I've got a birthday party for my best friend today."

She nodded. "That's great! I hope you have fun!"

I smiled. "Thanks Annie. And please call if there's any issue!"

"Will do!" she said as she waved and then walked into her house. I slipped into the car and quickly drove to the store, buying three containers of vanilla frosting and a package of gel food dye.

After cashing myself out, I drove over to S.H.I.E.L.D. The office was closed today (fourth of July, everyone was given off because it's a government holiday) and I was lucky enough to have a key. I let myself in and wandered the empty halls of the offices until I found the room I was looking for—S.H.I.E.L.D.'s personal museum for the founders.

I walked through it and let my hand hover on Colonel Phillip's picture before walking over to my section of the small museum. I took the frame that had my old uniform in it off the wall and took out the uniform, leaving a note in the frame for whoever to find it tomorrow. I put the frame back up and left he building, re-locking the doors and drove home.

I put the uniform safely in my room and quickly got to finishing the cake. I mixed the food dye into the containers of frosting and then painted an American flag on the cake. The second I was done, Tony walked through the door.

"Hey Max, whatcha got there?" he asked, peering over my shoulder.

I grinned. "A perfectly frosted American flag cake. What's in the bag?"

Tony shrugged. "Streamers, a happy birthday sign, some candles... How old is Steve going to be?"

I laughed. "Um...he's six months older than me... it's only been two-three years since he defrosted... I would say 97?" I guessed, shrugging. Tony shrugged too and put the candles beside the cake.

"I texted everyone else to come help set up. Romanoff's bringing the alcohol and Clint's bringing the solo cups." Tony said, walking over to the living room and dropping the decorations bag on the ottoman. I brought over the tape and we started hanging up decorations.

Everyone was over quickly and it was a good thing too. Tony and I were both too short to reach the ceiling. Thor helped tape up streamers and Bruce passed around the party poppers and noise makers.

Before the clock changed (Steve is very punctual), we all hid behind furniture. Steve unlocked the door with his key and flipped on the lights. The rest of us jumped out and yelled "SURPRISE!" and blew the noise makers and the party poppers.

"Happy birthday!" I yelled, running forward and sprinkling him with patriotic confetti.

Steve laughed and brushed it out of his hair. "You guys did all this for me?"

"It was Max's idea. She's the real organizer here." Nat smirked, her arms crossed under her chest.

I laughed. "I wanted to celebrate you! You're old, dude. People celebrate old people."

The rest of the Avengers nodded in agreement.

Steve laughed. "Max, you're only five months younger than me."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "I know that, silly. But you're still old."

We laughed together and Nat started mixing drinks for everyone as we all sat in the living room, talking about whatever came to mind and drinking Nat's concoctions carefully.

After a couple hours I decided it was time for cake. I slipped into my bedroom with the cake and candles so I could change into my uniform and emerge with the lit cake.

I carefully put the candles that Tony got (the 97) and lit them, holding the lighter under the cake platter. I dimmed the lights and began to sing 'happy birthday' as I entered the room, everyone else joining in.

Steve watched me as I approached him, his eyes filled with love and appreciation. I smiled as the song finished.

"Close your eyes and make a wish before you blow out the candles, old man!"

Steve laughed at me and closed his eyes, paused for a minute, and then blew out his candles. I set the cake on the ottoman and walked over, sitting on the arm of the couch that he was sitting on.

"What'd you wish for?" I asked.

He grinned widely. "Now if I tell you, it won't come true."

I laughed as Bruce brought over the knife. Steve cut the cake and Clint pulled out the knife, his birthday being next. I slid into the seat beside Steve as we ate the cake and he looked over at me.

"Where did you even find that?" he asked quietly.

I smiled gently. "S.H.I.E.L.D. has it in the museum for the founders. I borrowed it for the night."

He grinned at me and kissed my head. "It looks just as good on you as it ever did."

I blushed slightly and he laughed at my sudden shyness.

"Gifts!" Thor yelled, bringing his bag forward.

Steve sat up and I moved our plates out of the way as Steve took Thor's gift in his hands.

"Thank you, Thor. I really appreciate this!" Steve said before looking through the bag and pulling out a box of special edition Captain America instant Mac and Cheese. I giggled behind my hand and Steve laughed. "Thank you. These are awesome."

Thor grinned and nodded his head as Bruce passed his gift forward.

"It's not much..." Bruce stated.

Steve smiled at him. "I appreciate it nonetheless." He unwrapped the paper and opened the box, grinning at Bruce's gift of a plush version of the character Anger from _Inside Out_. I tilted my head to the right out of confusion but it seemed more like an inside joke between the two of them than anything else. Steve was grinning widely and looked up at Bruce with his blue eyes as bright as the sky.

"Thank you, Bruce. I love it."

Bruce laughed, smiling widely. "I'm glad."

Nat pushed forward. "Mmkay, me next, nerds." She passed Steve an over-sized bag to which he looked up at her with questioning eyes.

"Just open it," she grunted.

Steve pulled out new boxing gloves and a new baseball cap. he smiled widely at her. "Thanks Nat. I'll be sure to use both of these."

"You'll need to. Your current gloves are a mess." she smirked at him.

He chuckled and Clint passed his gift which was a new pair of aviators to replace the ones Clint had accidentally shot off his face at target practice that one time. Tony's gift was a new gaming system that Steve would for sure never use unless Tony and I actually sat down and taught him how to use it.

Nerves grew in the pit of my stomach as everyone turned to me expectantly. I smiled shyly at Steve.

"Give me just a sec," I mumbled before getting up and bringing out my guitar from my room.

Steve's eyes widened but he didn't say anything. I pulled out one of the stools from the island and sat on it.

"Here's a little song because it's tradition and if you think I'm going to screw up a tradition after sleeping for seventy years, you're dead wrong." I grinned and Steve laughed as I began to strum the guitar.

" _Waking up to kiss you and nobody's there_  
 _The smell of your cologne still stuck in the air_  
 _It's hard_

 _Yesterday I thought I saw your shadow running 'round_  
 _It's funny how things never change in this old town_  
 _So far_  
 _From the stars_

 _And I want to tell you everything_  
 _The words I never got to say the first time around_  
 _And I remember everything_  
 _From when we were the children playing in this fairground_  
 _Wish I was there with you now_

 _If the whole world was watching I'd still dance with you_  
 _Drive highways and byways to be there with you_  
 _Over and over the only truth_  
 _Everything comes back to you_  
 _Mmmmm_

 _I saw that you moved on to somethin' new_  
 _In the mall that you're at she's got her arms around you_  
 _It's so hard_  
 _So hard_

 _And I want to tell you everything_  
 _The words I never got to say the first time around_  
 _And I remember everything_  
 _From when we were the children playing in this fairground_  
 _Wish I was there with you now_

 _'Cause if the whole world was watching I'd still dance with you_  
 _Drive highways and byways to be there with you_  
 _Over and over the only truth_  
 _Everything comes back to you_

 _You still make me nervous when you walk in the room_  
 _Them butterflies—they come alive when I'm next to you_  
 _Over and over the only truth_  
 _Everything comes back to you_

 _And I know that it's wrong_  
 _That I can't move on_  
 _But there's something 'bout you_

 _'Cause if the whole world was watching I'd still dance with you_  
 _Drive highways and byways to be there with you_  
 _Over and over the only truth_  
 _Everything comes back to you_

 _You still make me nervous when you walk in the room_  
 _Them butterflies—they come alive when I'm next to you_  
 _Over and over the only truth_  
 _Everything comes back to you_  
 _Mmmm_  
 _Everything comes back to you_  
 _Mmmm"*_

Everyone stared for a few seconds before applauding loudly. I blushed and set my guitar on the ground and walked back over to sit beside Steve.

"Thank you, Max. That tradition was always one of my favorites." Steve kissed my cheek and I screamed a little on the inside.

The party continued on and on, raving all night. Tony had too much to drink and passed out on my couch and I knew by then it was time for everyone to head home. We still had work the next day and while Tony's usually hungover at work, the rest of them aren't. I kicked them all out after they helped clean up and as Steve was walking out the door, he stopped at the counter, waiting for me.

I tossed out the plastic cups in my hand and grinned at him, joining him by the counter.

"Thank you for the best birthday surprise," he said while looking down at me.

I laughed. "You're quite welcome, Steve. I'm always happy to celebrate you."

He grinned down at me, his body shifting closer to mine. He dropped his smile and I moved closer to him, looking up into his eyes longingly. He started leaning in and I the same. We met half-way and I found myself standing on the very top of my toes, holding on to him as our lips crashed gently against each other's.

This was so much easier when he was shorter than me.

He pulled away and we laughed as I jumped onto the counter and he turned to me, cupping my cheek in his hand.

"Seriously, thank you Max. You always know how to make my birthday extra special." He rubbed his thumb across my cheek and I laughed.

"Just come here and let me kiss you again before you go..."

And so he did.

*Songwriters: Niall James Horan / Daniel John Donald Bryer / Michael David Needle / Jamie Scott

This Town lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Downtown Music Publishing

 **A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE! What a great day to be alive and witness Steven Grant Roger's 99th birthday! Wahoo! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and you'll possibly be getting one tomorrow! I might start updating only once a week though because it's getting harder to write chapters when they look so pretty in layout format. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your Steve-filled day!**

 **xoxo**  
 **Alex**


	8. VII Preparations

**Chapter 7**

With James' party over with, I began to prepare myself and everyone else around me to my returning to work full time.

This was going to get even harder because I would need a full-time sitter, maybe even a nanny, for James. While I could pay for one, I didn't really want to have a nanny because I wanted to raise and take care of James myself. I was independent like that and always have been.

When I was a little girl and played house with a friend, I'd insist that I would stay with my child during the first couple years but I'd go back to work as soon as the kid could go to a daycare.

My parents thought that it was just a phase, but I have stuck by that mantra all my life. I was never a girl to want to grow up, get married right out of high school, and be a stay-at-home mom, though I applauded the women who did.

Though my parents certainly never got to see how I turned out considering that they passed away my junior year of high school, I was sure they would be proud of me and my decisions and accomplishments, though it went against their own beliefs and wishes for me.

I sighed, sitting in front of my computer with the apartment listings pulled up and James bouncing in my lap. I scrolled through the list, minding the prices and all that they offered. I was desperate to get out of this tiny space as it wasn't good for James to be so cramped.

The door slid open and Nat, Fury, and Clint walked in. Nat stood across from me and closed my computer by pushing the screen forward. I sighed and looked up at them. "Can I help you?"

"Agent Winters," Nick started with, "We need a plan of action for how you want to return from the dead."

I chuckled at the phrasing and bounced James in my lap. "Well none of the other Avengers are here except you three and I think it's really important that I meet them too so I'd like if you, Nick, could call a 'check-up' meeting to update the team or whatever and I'll sneak in and reveal myself to him."

They nodded at the plan of attack.

"So," Clint started, "What've you decided you're telling him?"

I sighed again, looking down at James who looked up at me. "I'm going to tell him that I was just recently found in my misplaced freezer pod. He won't suspect anything because he'll be too emotional."

There was another round of nods and the tension was a bit too much for me.

"Okay, since you people are here, I need help." I opened my computer and Clint and Nat stayed to help me with apartments. Nick stayed for a few minutes to make sure that I knew all housing would be paid for by S.H.I.E.L.D. and laid out the minimums for what I could get. I smiled and thanked him profusely before he left and then got down to working on which apartments met the minimums.

A few interesting ones came up and I favorited them so we could go back to them later. Nat and Clint decided, while we were searching, that we would go to Shawarma for lunch. I hadn't agreed at the time but they took my silence as an agreement and made sure the stroller was pulled out so we could just go when we were done.

It was getting harder to avoid Steve because he seemed to be _everywhere_ , _all_ the time. I haven't been able to take James out without checking with someone first to see if Steve was on my floor or not, which he usually was. This would mean an agent would distract him for a few minutes while I snuck out with James.

When I was gone, I would send a comm and thank the agent that helped me out before letting James run around at the park.

Getting back inside was just as hard, which is why I was desperate for getting my own apartment. Nat, Clint, and I checked over the list a few more times before going out and visiting each of the places, with James, of course.

While apartment searching, I also took on daycare searching for places in the area of each apartment. This way, James could be taken care of for long hours at a time and not just by a singular person. And he would work on socializing with other kids which would be great.

I thought about this on our walk to Shawarma as Nat and Clint talked about some mission they once had. Budapest, I think.

After lunch, as a spur of the moment and carpe diem deal, we decided to visit each of the places. They were nice apartments, but both James and I didn't get the right feeling from them.

Our last stop was the wondrous and spacious apartment in Brooklyn. It was in the same neighborhood that Steve, Bucky, and I moved into after high school, pretty close to our actual apartment.

As Nat, Clint, and I (with James) walked up to the apartment complex, I had to grip the railing as I realized where I was. My friends looked back at me in confusion but I motioned for them to go in, Clint taking James by the hand and leading him inside.

I looked up at the doorway, the old wood of the frame, the new metal screen door covering the red wood, the refurbished siding that remained the same color as it had in the late '30s. With a smile and sense of nostalgia, I entered the apartment, running my hand over the same brass handle that had been there for over eighty years.

It looked the same, like I had gone back to that time period of perfect bliss. Though the curtains were different, the couch had been replaced, and the other furniture seemed a little bit beat up, everything looked like it had been pulled straight from one of my photographs.

With a happy sigh, I smiled as James was toddling around, or trying to, and I looked over at Nat and Clint with a smile.

"Three bedroom, two bathrooms, a kitchen and living room with an open layout, and lots of closet space," Nat confirmed with a nod to me.

I smiled happily, "This is it. This is the apartment."

Both of them looked at me, "Are you sure? What about the others? There was that cute one with the blue walls..." Nat offered but I shook my head, running my hand along the counter top.

With I smile, I turned and watched James toddle/crawl around the living room. "This is definitely the place."

And I had finally returned home.

* * *

I bought the apartment and soon began to pack up my belongings. Boxes and containers were brought and bought (respectively) to complete the set of having to carry everything James and I owned to that apartment.

While packing, I would often prep myself to see Steve again and began ween myself away from bringing James to work with me. I even enrolled him in daycare which I supposed was going to be easier for me when I went to work. The place was between the apartment and work so the distance worked out great.

I left a little bit of home stuff, things that looked like it was for only a few people, to keep the sense of the fact that I was staying at S.H.I.E.L.D. when I reunited with Steve.

The apartment was mostly covered in boxes when I stepped through it's doorway after taking the familiar route of my childhood home to the small Brooklyn apartment. I began to unpack, busying myself with organization until my alarm went off to pick up James from daycare.

Picking my boy up, I stopped for dinner and then took him back to the Brooklyn apartment to finish unpacking the box I wasn't done with yet. He ran around, crawling and sitting on top of boxes which I giggled at and took pictures of.

The box was done and James was tired. Since his room wasn't done yet, I took him back to the apartment at S.H.I.E.L.D. to sleep with one thing on my mind.

I was reuniting with Steve in less than 24 hours.


	9. VIII Returns

**Chapter 8**

After almost two years of returning from the "dead," I was ready to make my great debut, with absolutely no signs of having been pregnant or being a mother. Everything about me was just as it had been when I went into my coma...with a few added secrets of course.

Fury was hosting an Avengers meeting at SHIELD HQ and the only thing for me to do was walk in. I just wanted to get this isolation over with as soon as possible.

I was nervous, of course. There wasn't anything to be nervous about, but I still was because this is _Steve_ we're talking about and I sometimes don't know how he's going to react to things like this.

As the meeting began, Nat and Clint were the last people in because they were talking to me. It got risky once Tony had to stick his head out and make them come inside. "C'mon love birds, the meeting's started!"

While behind a tree, I had to hold back my laugh. Nat and Clint? A couple? Hell no.

I let the time drag on, making the meeting seem as normal as possible. Then I struck like a snake on a rat. I snuck in through the back door as quietly as possible. I sat myself down in a chair at the end of the table with only  
Fury, Nat, and Clint noticing. As Fury kept talking, he began to get to the point of why the meeting was called in the first place–to announce my return.

Fury began to ask questions about the original S.H.I.E.L.D. and it's founders. Then it got to a question which no one but one of the founders could have known.

"Who, out of the founders, had first hand experience with Dr. Erskine and the training of soldiers?" Fury asked.

Here was my only chance to make myself known; a question asked that only I could answer.

"That would be Maxine Winters. She was an agent who had first hand experience on the fields and in the lab. She trained the soldiers hard as well as worked with the doctor on the super soldier serum." I spoke calmly, trying to soothe my shaking body as I looked at Fury smugly for show, but out of the corner of my eyes, looked at Steve.

 **(Steve's POV)**

I know that voice, I know that voice, _I know that voice._ Squeezing my eyes shut, I have to think to myself, _It isn't real. This isn't happening. She's dead and you know it. You're the sole survivor of that time. Snap out of it Steve!_

But I couldn't. All I could hear was her voice replaying in my head, " _I love you, Steve; you're my best friend_." It kept replaying in my head over and over again. I squeezed my eyes tighter, trying to block it out. _She's not here,_ I kept reminding myself. _Max is gone._

 **(Max's POV)**

As Steve closed his eyes tighter and squeezed his fists, I got up from my seat and moved over to where he sat near the middle of the table. With all eyes on me, I walked with caution, more for myself than for the others. Nat and Clint's knowing smirks were plastered across their faces but I sent them a _cut-it-out_ look to make them stop. They stopped acting like children on Christmas and I was able to focus on my real mission, and the only mission I've ever really had—Steve.

I cautiously knelt beside Steve's chair, taking his fists into my hands and unraveling them. I looked them over: calloused, slightly bruised, large, and definitely still Steve's hands.

I sighed and intertwined my fingers with his, looking up at him. I squeezed his hands, running my thumbs over the backs of his. "Stevie," I whispered and when he didn't look at me, I brought his hands to my lips and kissed his palms. "Stevie, please. Could you at least take a peek at me?" I begged, my voice cracking a little and Steve opened one eye–just a crack–to see exactly what I could guess he thought he'd never see again: I, Maxine Doris Winters, on my knees and holding his hands.

Steve fell out of his chair and on to his knees, wrapping me in a hug while tears of joy and sobs of relief could be heard from his shaking body... Well, both of our shaking bodies. Steve kept clutching me tighter, trying to make sure I was real, and I did the same, burying my face in the crook of Steve's neck, trying to take in the fact that I was finally with him again.

Most of the Avengers seemed thoroughly confused, especially Tony who let his confusion known with, "Why is there a woman in Capsicle's arms? And why is she in this meeting?"

I noticed him by the way he looked and talked; a lot like his father with an equal or more amount of confidence. I looked up for only a moment but got a flashback of Howard looking at me with love and pure joy, and then with worry, regret, and maybe some sort of relief?

I blinked it away and squeezed my eyes shut, burying myself in all that is Steve Rogers, Captain America, and that little guy from Brooklyn that I grew up with. I pulled on his back through his shirt, trying to bring him closer as the tears renewed themselves. I sobbed into his neck as Steve, once again, tightened his grip on me. Certainly neither of us wanted to let go of each other.

"How?" he whispered to me, once he had calmed down enough and was able to pull back and cup my face in his enlarged hands.

I smiled at him, "Froze myself in a pod that Howie helped me make. Stupid little genius fell for my trap before he could go back to search for you. And here you are," I whispered, more tears of joy slipping down my cheeks.

Steve chuckled, wiping my tears away with his thumbs. "Here I am," he smiled.

I nuzzled my cheek into his hand, relaxing more. "I love you, I don't think I told you that before you crashed that plane."

He chuckled and pulled me closer again, pressing his forehead to mine. "I don't know if Peggy told you or not after the crash but I told her to tell you that I love you, that you're my best friend."

I shook my head, "No, I was there. I heard it all as I sobbed and tried to reach for you, to call out to you, but Howie held me back to let Peggy finish talking to you."

Steve shook his head and lifted his lips to make contact with my forehead. "We're going to be okay now. Nothing but you and me."

I laughed, "Completely unstoppable; a force to be reckoned with."

He smiled and pulled me up with him, letting me sit in his lap as he didn't want to let go of me for as long as he could get away with it.

Tony was still looking confused as I turned to him and held out my hand for him to shake. Or kiss, whichever he preferred. "Maxine Winters, co-founder of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nice to meet you, Mr. Stark."

Tony shook my hand warily and I turned back to Steve almost immediately after as he was wiping his puffy, red eyes from all the crying we did. I laughed and wiped his eyes for him, kissing his forehead. He chuckled and pulled me closer into his lap, keeping a strong arm around me as if he was afraid to lose me again.

Steve had always been protective in his heart, but he never had the build to show it. I admired his strength of will but sometimes will wasn't what was needed to get out of a fight, especially back in the late 20's and 30's.

I sat with these thoughts as I played with Steve's fingers mindlessly during the rest of the meeting which I "interrupted." Steve was partially distracted but no one else seemed to notice (or pretended not to care) as he ran his fingers through the ends of my hair. I smiled happily as he halfway paid attention and halfway focused on braiding my hair. He tossed it over my shoulder in a side braid and I smiled happily, leaning back against his chest.

Steve pulled me tighter and I had to remind myself that this was real, that this was Steve, my Steve, and we were finally reunited. I was grinning from ear to ear as I held Steve's arm that was wrapped around my waist and just waited for Fury to dismiss the meeting. Once he did, I turned in Steve's lap to face him and cupped his cheeks, taking in all of his features. He seemed to age but not at all and it made me love him even more. I began to pepper his face with kisses; not something I did often back in our youth but something I would willingly do for him any time that I wanted to show him how much I love him. Steve chuckled, letting me kiss his face until he had to pull away, rubbing his thumbs over my cheekbones.

"Gosh, I missed you," he commented and I fell into his warm embrace, curling myself up against him as he wrapped his arms around me.

"You have no idea," I mumbled into his chest. "Almost dying twice on me isn't okay, Steve!"

He sighed, "I know, Max. Trust me, I know. I've been thinking about it for a very long time."

I held on to him tightly, only imagining what he's been through these last two years. I sighed contently, "We can do this someplace more comfortable if you'd like," I said and smirked as I looked up at him.

He sighed happily, "Even after all these years you know me so well."

He carried me in his arms as he took me to wherever he wanted to go.

I laughed my way through it, "Stevie, I can walk, you know!" I exclaimed in protest but in my mind I was definitely not complaining.

He chuckled and only held me tighter, "I know. I'm just trying to make up for lost time."

I smiled again and he brought me to one of the lounges in the building and secured a spot for the two of us on a nice couch. I giggled as he sat back down and I shifted myself to lay between him and the cushions of the couch.

I traced my finger over the S.S.R design on his t-shirt as he ran his fingers through my hair. I looked up at him and our eyes met before he diverted his again, but I just kept looking at him, taking him in some more.

I just wanted to lay there with him for the rest of eternity, basking in his presence. I missed him all too much to be worried about silly things like PDA or whatever.

He smirked down at me,"What? What're you looking at?"

I smiled up at him, "The face of my best friend."

He smiled again and I laughed a bit. I loved this, everything that pertained to Steve, I loved.

He just laughed and shook his head at me and I grinned up at him. "Love me a little longer, would you? I don't want this to end yet," I said and he let me move on top of him. I looked up at him, my hands folded underneath my chin and on his chest, and he looked down at me before brushing a stray strand of hair out of my face. As his hands ran through my hair, I was slowly being lulled to sleep. I hadn't realized how tired I was from my lack of it these past couple years and from staying up all night in a fit of worry.

Before I knew it, there was a light shining on my face and I opened my eyes begrudgingly. Waking up from a perfectly good nap was the last thing I wanted to do.

It slowly came back to me where I was and who I was with as I shifted and heard Steve groan in the midst of his own nap. I slowly began to realize the position we were in which was far from the one I fell asleep in. I was pushed between the cushions and Steve who's chest was facing me and his arm was sprawled across my waist. As delightful as it was to wake up in his arms, it was a very compromising situation.

The sunlight from the sunset was shining into my eyes and it was making me even more uncomfortable knowing that somebody was going to notice that Steve and I basically had a spotlight on us. I groaned and tried to wiggle but with one look at Steve, my heart melted and I couldn't bring myself to do it. The boy was like an angel and he made my heart flutter with how cute and peaceful he looked while sleeping.

He sighed but I knew that I just couldn't go back to sleep and couldn't bring him back to my apartment because of James... Oh my gods, James!

My mind was reeling for the fact of where my baby was, if he was okay, did he eat dinner yet, and many more questions. I knew Steve was a deep sleeper but that could have changed with everything he's been through so I quietly tried to pull out my phone to see if there was a text from anyone.

 **Text Message From: Nat**  
 **I took James for the night and Clint cleaned out all of the remaining baby stuff in your room so you could take fossil boy back there whenever you wake up from your nap. Enjoy!**

I smiled gratefully and quickly texted her back.

 **Text Message To: Nat**  
 _ **I love you I love you I love you thank you so so much. Give my baby lots of kisses for me! I'll text Clint and let him know how grateful I am**_?

With that, I put the phone away and watched Steve sleep for a little longer.

He grumbled as he woke up and I noticed it as he stretched and tried opening his eyes. "I can't believe we really fell asleep out here," he muttered.

I chuckled, "Me either. Hey, why don't we go back to my room?"

He nodded and got up, holding out his hand to help me up. I took it and didn't let go as I led him back to my baby-free apartment. I would just have to remember to be careful of the cabinet with the remaining baby dish-ware unless Clint was _really_ thorough and cleaned those out too.

I put my hand against the scanner and the door slid open, allowing me to pull Steve into my one-room apartment.

 **A/N: YAY! STAX REUNION! It felt so good writing this, you guys have no idea. And** _ **no**_ **, they don't run into Max's room and do the do because I'm sure that what a lot of you are thinking right now. While I'd like to jump to that because I'm lazy and it means less writing, Max and Steve are still only friends. They've got a lot to go through before we get to that point. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!**  
 **xoxo**  
 **Alex**


	10. IX Death of Me

**Chapter 9**

With a yawn, I woke up to the window open and the sunshine pouring through, the curtains blowing slightly from the breeze outside. I smiled and rolled over, hugging my pillow to my body and feeling as though a major weight was lifted off my shoulders. Footsteps neared me and I looked up to see Steve holding out a cup of tea made just the way I like it.

"You remembered," I smiled, touched that he still remembered the way I take my tea.

With a smile and a nod, Steve sat down across from me on the bed.

I blew on the tea before carefully taking a sip as Steve cradled his cup of coffee. I watched him suspiciously, noting how he looked nervous. With a sigh, I spoke up, "Okay, what's wrong?"

Steve looked up at me, bewildered. "Wrong? Nothing's wrong. I'm just...confused, is all. How come it took so long for you to defrost?"

I shrugged. "They must have forgotten about me when they found you. Got too busy with Captain America to pay attention I suppose." I tried to smirk to lighten the mood but he didn't seem to be having it. I reached out and touched his arm. "Hey, don't worry about me. I'm just glad to be back with you. I don't care if it took them too long. The fact is, I'm back with you and that's what matters."

He smiled his warm Steve smile at me and my heart warmed intensely. I blushed slightly and pulled my hand back, cradling my cup and then carefully taking a sip. He reached forward and brushed a strand of hair off my forehead, pushing it back behind my ear. I smiled at him, nearly grinning.

"Still beautiful," he whispered.

I chuckled, "And you're still intensely handsome."

He continued smiling at me. "Come here." He opened his arms for me and I scooted into his lap, letting him wrap his arms around me. I curled against his chest and sipped my tea, feeling small but warm and cared for. Something I hadn't felt in over seventy years.

Everything was right with the world. I had my baby boy, I had my Steve back, I had two amazing best friends, and I was slowly returning to my original work as a special agent and a spy.

A knock sounded on the door and Steve gripped my waist a little tighter. I smiled a bit but tried to hide it, slipping out of his arms and over to the door. "Can I help you?" I asked, opening the door a crack.

Nat smirked at me. "Hey, Cap's missing and Fury's about to have a fit. Apparently he never went back to his apartment last night. Have you seen him?"

I smirked a bit then tried to hide it. "No, no I haven't seen him. I hope you find him quickly though."

The thought of Steve walking out of this room and trying to act casual while still wearing the same clothes from yesterday made me want to keep him to myself a while longer.

Nat smirked at me and slid a bag through the crack of the door. "If you do see him, here's a set of clothes for him. I stole it from his apartment so he doesn't have to worry about sizing."

With a grin, I thanked her and bolted the door behind her, the bag of extra clothes in my hand. I set them on the floor at the end of the bed when Steve suddenly pulled me to him again.

I chuckled, my hands resting on top of his arms. "Steve, we can't stay here all day. We've got to go to work."

Steve shrugged. "I wouldn't mind staying here all day."

I chuckled, smirking back at him. "After you talk and check in with Fury, then maybe I'll consider it."

He nodded, kissed my head and released me from his strong arms, grabbing the bag and going to change in the bathroom.

We headed out of the room together, making jokes on our way to meet up with Nat and Fury. When we found them in Fury's main space, I smirked at him (leftover from a laugh) and shrugged.

"Sorry, Nick. I had to borrow him last night."

Steve smiled, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"And why did you need to do that?" Fury asked.

I shrugged, "Because I needed someone to keep me safe while I chased down bad guys." I let it sit with him and rolled my eyes when I didn't get a reaction. "Nick, he just slept over. I can't hang out with my best friend who I thought was dead?"

Fury sighed but Nat smirked at me, giving me a nod of approval. She gestured for me to walk over and I quickly squeezed Steve's arm and had to get on my tip-toes to kiss his cheek. "I'll catch you later. Maybe we can grab some lunch?"

He nodded and I slipped over to Nat, feeling the best I've felt since James was born.

She smirked at me. "You look like you're on a cloud."

I chuckled, "I am. I definitely am."

I looked over my shoulder and found Steve talking with Fury. My heart soared just a little bit.

She started laughing at me and I could only smile back at her. "It's nice to see you this happy. You haven't been or looked this happy since James was born."

I shrugged, the smile still on my face. "What can I say, this _is_ the happiest I've been since James was born." My smile dropped and I lowered my voice, "Speaking of James, where is he?"

She smirked, "And Mama bear is back." I rolled my eyes and let her continue. "He's at day care. I dropped him off earlier, no need to fret."

I grinned, "You're the best, you know that?"

She shrugged, smirking still. "Yeah yeah. Put it on my tab."

I rolled my eyes but hooked my arm with hers as we walked toward the desk where breakfast awaited. "Mm," I moaned, "You bought doughnuts..."

She chuckled, shoving the honey crullers in my face. "Hell yeah I did."

I mouthed a thank you to her before pulling one out of the box and eating it. I glanced over to Steve and Fury who both seemed like they were seconds away from being at each other's throats.

I threw a doughnut at Steve, aiming to calm him down from whatever he was mad about. It hit him in the face and I laughed as he looked over at me in surprise. I giggled and watched him look shocked, smirk, try to hide it, and then began to come after me, all while I doubled over. As he started moving towards me, I started backing away, tossing the box to Nat and then turning and running, laughing as I went. Steve chuckled and quickly caught me, laughing as he lifted me up by one arm around my waist and I was buckled over, still giggling.

"Steve!" I laughed and he pulled me to his chest, holding me tightly and smiling into my hair. I giggled and relaxed against him. "I am so glad to have you back." He nodded and held me a little tighter, setting me on the ground.

I turned in his embrace and wrapped my arms around him, my eyes tearing up as I clutched him closer. "I missed you so much," I choked out, speaking into his shoulder.

"Max you've got no idea...these past two years have been hell without you..." Steve whispered and the confession only made me cry harder.

"I know, baby. Trust me. I know." I mumbled, holding him tightly as the sobs turned to regular tears streaming down my face.

"Hey, but we're together now, right?" he whispered, pulling back and holding my face in his hands. I nodded, agreeing. "That's all that matters, doll."

I smiled at him and let him wipe the tears off my face and I kissed his cheek, taking his hand. We walked back over to Fury and Nat, me refusing to letting go of him, of which I told Fury straight away.

"Nick, wherever he goes, I go. I can't, I just can't. Not today." I said, sighing slightly.

Fury shook his head is dismay. "You two are going to be the death of me. I'm going to have a heart attack because of you two."

I smirked, Steve's arm now draped across my shoulders. "I sure hope not but judging by your reaction, I'm only getting good signals and an okay from you."

Fury shook his head again, not saying anything. I smirked at Nat and she handed me the doughnut box back. I licked my lips, pulling out another doughnut, taking a bite and then lifting it for Steve to eat some. He took a large bite and I brought it back down to my lips to finish it off.


	11. X Bets and Avengers

**Chapter 10**

"Okay, since you two refuse to separate from each other, you'll be having bonding time with the rest of the Avengers since they are all in town." Fury said as we walked around the base, finding a living room-like area where the rest of the Avengers were already sitting.

I stepped back, pausing for a second. This was not how I thought my day was going to go. Nat nudged me to snap out of it. I looked over at the group of Avengers sitting around and made eye contact with Clint who smirked, waving slightly. I waved back, mouthing a thank you to him about last night. He nodded, looking back down at the book he was reading.

Steve pulled me forward, stealing a couch to ourselves while Nat sprawled out across the couch Clint was on, putting her feet on his lap. It was awkwardly silent for a few minutes, but Steve leaned over and whispered in my ear.

"They aren't usually like this, I swear."

I giggled slightly, looking over the group of adults in front of me. "Really? Seems like we should take them to a fair or something and show them how to really bond."

"Like gum on pavement to the bottom of a shoe?" he smirked, looking at me.

I laughed, "Yeah, exactly like that, but with less lip action."

He laughed, shaking his head at me. "Bucky was _so_ shocked."

"I remember hearing him groan from all the way at the top of the Ferris Wheel!"

Steve shook his head, "What was the name of the dame he was with that day?"

I shrugged. "Martha? Mary? Something with an 'M' I think."

Steve nodded. "She didn't even last a week."

I shook my head, laughing slightly. "Bucky was the original player. Well, that actually might have been Howie, but hey, they can tie, can't they?"

"I think Howard wins but Buck's a pretty close second."

I laughed, bending over. "Gosh I still can't believe what everyone voted for as his legacy in the yearbook."

"Max, it's been over 75 years since we got those things!" Steve commented and I shrugged.

"I know but those girls were able to get everyone in the entire grade to vote him as World's Worst Boyfriend!"

Steve laughed, "In essence, he kind of was. He couldn't keep a girlfriend for more than a month."

I shook my head, grinning, "But at least he treated them very well!"

"Would you two please talk about something else?" Tony groaned, looking over at us from his computer screen. "It's annoying. Actually, maybe just don't talk at all."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, Mr. Stark. Whatever you say, Mr. Stark."

Steve elbowed me but I didn't pay it any mind. Instead, I turned to face him, smirking wildly. "Why don't we go somewhere else? Somewhere private?"

Steve's face blushed red and it took all of my willpower not to roll my eyes at him. I leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Relax, I'm just hungry. Please please _please_ take me to go get food."

Steve smirked, "Absolutely, Max."

I grinned and got up, pulling him with me, practically running out of the room. We slowed down once we were far enough away from the group and walked back to my room for Steve to grab his keys. For what, I wasn't sure but I was excited to know where he was taking me.

We went into the parking garage where we came to be face-to-face with a motorcycle. I stopped and stared as Steve got onto the bike, putting a helmet on.

"Okay, just because you got all buff and tall and became a superhero doesn't mean you get to risk your life, and mine for that fact, driving on one of these things." I said, tapping the handle of the bike.

"You'll be fine, Max. Plus it'll get us through traffic faster." Steve encouraged, holding out the second helmet for me.

I glared but took it, putting it on my head and strapping it. I slid onto the seat behind him and gripped him tightly, not wanting to fall off. He revved the engine and off we went.

Speeding through traffic, we made it to a cute little diner just off the edge of the island. I carefully climbed off the bike putting the helmet under the seat and letting Steve lead me inside.

We sat down at what the waitress deemed as Steve's usual table, and I caught the look of raised eyebrows one of the other waitresses was giving her. I smirked. Looks like Steve was the main source of eye-candy around here.

I couldn't disagree with that, though.

"Steve!" a waitress waved from behind the bar. Steve waved back, smiling brightly and she came over.

"How are you, Cynthia?" Steve asked politely.

"I'm good, I'm good. Can't really complain." She smiled and looked over at me. "What, you're not going to introduce me to your friend?" she joked smiling down at him.

Steve looked over at me, a bright smile on his face. "Cynthia, this is Max, my best friend. Max, this is Cynthia."

I waved slightly, "Nice to meet you, Cynthia."

"Yeah, you too, Max." She smiled, "So what can I get for you two today?"

I shrugged, looking over my menu. "I'll get an iced...coffee. Two cream and two sugar please."

Steve handed her the menu. "My usual please. Oh, and can we get some eggs and pancakes please?"

"Toast on the side?" Cynthia asked.

Steve nodded then paused. "Wait, no. Hash-browns for Max's."

Cynthia nodded, smiling at him. "You got it. I'll be back in a bit."

She walked away and I watch her go, smirking slightly.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my back pocket and I pulled it out, seeing about forty+ texts from Nat and Clint.

 **Where did you go?**  
Nat's most recent (not screaming my name in all caps) message read.

I texted back quickly.  
 **I was hungry. Made Steve take me out for breakfast.**

She texted back within half a second.  
 **Breakfast, are you kidding?! Clint and Tony have a bet going on that you're having sex in either your apartment or a locked closet!**

I laughed out loud and Steve tried peering over to see what I was looking at. I passed him my phone across the table. "Nat says everybody thinks we're having sex."

"That's because of how you stated it before we left!" Steve exclaimed, cheeks bright and grinning ear to ear.

I giggled. "I know, but they already thought that in the first place with how we reacted to each other."

He shrugged. "They don't know what it's like. And they certainly don't know us."

I smiled, reaching and taking his hand in my own. "I know, Steve." I kissed his knuckles, smiling a bit. "Besides, we should totally pretend that we definitely did it to throw them all off."

He laughed, shaking his head at me. "You're horrible to me, you really are."

I smirked widely. "I know, but you still love me."

He nodded his head, his hand clasping around mine. "That I do. That I do."

Soon after, Cynthia brought over our drinks and breakfast, leaving us quickly to enjoy the meal. Steve paid after we finished and we decided to take a walk in Central Park before going back to work. With our elbows connected, we walked around as we visited our once favorite spots.

"Can you imagine us doing the same thing as we are now, but just seventy years older?" I asked softly, looking at the pavement.

Steve sighed. "I think about it sometimes but I tend not to dwell on it. We were lucky to get out unscathed."

I nodded. "Yeah, I suppose so. We got an extra seventy years to live..."

We made our way back to work shortly after that. We walked back to the group of Avengers who still remained in the exact same positions as before. We took over the couch again, this time with me in Steve's lap as I pulled out a book for us to both read.

It only took five minutes for Tony and Clint to turn to us and ask about it.

"It certainly wasn't quick," Tony commented, making Steve blush.

I sighed, putting the book down and taking Steve's hands. "Nope, we actually did it a couple times before deciding to come back."

Tony gaped slightly but Clint smirked at me.

"You must have gone to the apartment then." Clint said, a slight smirk on his lips.

"Yeah, we did," I smirked. "Pretty damn good time, I would say."

Steve coughed. "Yeah, me too."

I squeezed his hands, knowing how uncomfortable he was.

"That was ridiculous." Bruce commented as Tony passed Clint the money.

Thor nodded his head in agreement. "The exchange of money was stupid and thoughtless. The two are very clearly smitten with each other."

I laughed, though probably louder than I should have. Yes, I have feelings for Steve but yes, I'm also over it. I know he won't like me back and while it's a pain in my ass, he's still my best friend so I have to live with it.

"What's so funny over there, little miss?" Nat asked, smirking.

"Nothing, nothing." I waved it off, smiling. "I'm just enjoying you guys trying to put your two-sense in."

Steve nudged me so I decided to keep a little quieter if we wanted to keep the act up. I curled further into Steve's embrace and he immediately responded by hugging me tighter.

"You good?" he whispered in my ear.

I nodded. "Just cold, don't worry about me."

He rolled his eyes, snuggling me closer. "You're doing this for the act, aren't you?" he whispered again.

I smirked. "No, I really am cold. Are you?"

I could tell he blushed by the heat now emitting from his cheeks. I giggled slightly, looking up to kiss his cheek. "You're adorably dorky, you know that?"

Steve shrugged slightly, keeping me held tight in his arms.


	12. XI Bonding

**Chapter 11**

I was walking out of work from another extremely boring day when Tony stopped me in the lobby.

"Max, hey. I'm hosting a little shindig tonight. Would you mind joining?"

I raised an eyebrow at him, trying to see what he was up to. "Who else is going to be there?"

Tony shrugged slightly. "Natasha, Clint, Thor, Bruce, Steve, and me. All we're missing is you."

I nodded, thinking it over. "Okay, what time?"

A grin stretched across his face and I nearly rolled my eyes. "Great! Be over by seven!"

I nodded and continued my way out the door, sighing and texting Annie, James's babysitter. Her responding texts were happy and I was grateful she'd be able to take him for the night and morning.

Sometimes I felt like a super shitty mom for being out all the time but I spend plenty of time with James. It's just been a little less recently since my return.

I slipped into my car, driving to pick James up from daycare and took him home. We played for a little while, I made dinner and fed him so Annie didn't have to do it, and I made sure all of his stuff was where it needed to be for easy finding.

I let James crawl around the closed-off living room so I could change my clothes from my work outfit to blue denim skinny jeans and a white v-neck t-shirt.

I took only my phone, keys, and a black leather jacket with me, sure that I wasn't going to need anything else. I passed a ball with James for a few more minutes before Annie knocked on the door. I updated her on James' recent improvements since her last babysitting job and how he's been walking more often now. She bid me goodbye and I kissed James before leaving him in Annie's care for the night and next morning, slipping into the car and making my way through the slowly moving traffic.

I didn't reach Stark Tower until 7:30 because of how awful the traffic was. Even though I had never been in the building before, I bypassed the lobby and made my way up to the penthouse via the elevator. The penthouse button had a sticky note pointing at it that read "FOR AVENGERS & MAX" to which I laughed and pressed, gripping tightly to the railings inside the cubicle.

I stepped out of the elevator, sliding my keys into my jacket pocket. "Sorry I'm late," I announced to the room of excited Avengers. "There was so much traffic."

Tony grinned, walking over to greet me. "Max, we're so excited to have you with us. C'mon, grab a drink. We were just about to play a game."

I frowned and looked at him suspiciously but I warily agreed, grabbed myself a beer, and followed him to the circle of Avengers who were sitting on the floor instead of on the couches. I squeezed myself between Steve and Clint, feeling kind of awkward but the beer was helping.

"So, I believe the best way to get to know each other is to be truly deep with each other. That's why we'll be playing a series of very middle and high school games tonight."

I groaned, glancing over at Steve who rolled his eyes back at me. We had some pretty awful memories from those seven years. We both looked back at Tony with slight glares and let him continue on.

"Max, since you were late, you'll be going first. Oh, and I need your bottle so hurry up and finish it," Tony said.

I groaned. "To let you all know, I haven't kissed anyone since the 1940s. I won't be very good at this." I then proceeded to down my beer, finishing it very quickly. Everyone seemed to be slightly surprised—except for Steve, of course.

"Where'd you learn to chug like that?" Bruce asked with a raised eyebrow.

I smirked. "If we end up playing Seven Minutes in Heaven together, you'll find out." I winked and he blushed a beet red. I laughed a bit, "No, actually my dad had his own brewery when I was growing up and when the boys and I would party during high school, we'd nearly get caught so we had to chug our drinks super quickly before my dad could find us."

"Badass..." I heard Tony whisper and I blinked at him, slightly confused.

"Let's get on with it," Nat encouraged and Tony spun the bottle on the hardwood floors in the center of the circle. I nervously anticipated its outcome as I really didn't want to kiss anyone tonight. I watched as it started slowing down and my heart started racing. It landed with the mouth of the bottle facing Clint. Both of our faces scrunched up in slight disgust and uncomfortableness.

I turned and frowned at him. "I'm sorry," I muttered and pecked his lips, knowing that Tony would have my head if I had kissed his cheek.

"Okay Max, you spin for Clint now," Nat advised so I spun the bottle and watched as it landed on Tony who flirtatiously bat his eyes at Clint. Clint rolled his eyes at Tony and kissed his cheek. Tony pouted but didn't complain when the bottle landed on Bruce. Bruce looked like a tomato when I looked up at him and I nearly laughed.

Tony reached across the circle and kissed Bruce to which I smirked at. Science bros at their finest.

Bruce was still blushing when Tony spun the bottle and this time, it landed on Nat. Bruce looked kind of flustered but moved in front of her to kiss her gently. I smirked, knowing Nat had slight feelings for the guy. Clint nudged me and I dropped the smirk.

We kept playing until almost everybody had kissed everybody. Tony had ended up kissing Steve on the latest spin and was now spinning for Steve's next kiss.

Holy hell it landed on me.

I blushed slightly and turned to Steve who was also blushing. I giggled slightly, "At least our first kiss wasn't at a game of spin the bottle."

Steve chuckled. "That's very true. We were lucky with that bet then, huh."

I laughed, "Yes, yes we were."

"If I remember right, I think it went something like this," he said as he cupped my cheeks and slowly pressed his lips to mine. I reached up and held his wrists, kissing him back. This kiss was _a lot_ better than the one we shared at the fair.

Steve pulled away and I opened my eyes to look straight into his baby blue ones. My heart melted a little by looking into his eyes.

"Okay love birds, game change." Nat announced and I reluctantly pulled away from Steve, my face burning like a fire. "We're playing seven minutes in heaven."

She spun the bottle for the first candidate and it landed on me.

"Alright, let's see who ends up being stuck alone with Max for seven minutes," Nat smirked and I rolled my eyes at her.

The bottle spun and spun and I prayed with my eyes tightly closed that it wasn't going to land on Tony or Steve. I opened my eyes after a minute or so and I looked up to see everyone looking at me. The bottle top was facing Tony and I sighed, standing up.

"Alright, Tony. To the closet we go," I said and followed Tony into his slightly cramped storage closet.

We didn't turn the light on but stood a respectful distance away from each other. The tension between us was high and I could tell that he wanted to kiss me just by his body language. The level of awkwardness was higher than the tension though and it out ruled any thought of kissing. I turned to look at him, separating his features in the darkness.

"We don't have to do anything if you don't want to," Tony said and I blinked, remembering that he talked.

I smiled a bit. "Could we talk though? Just you and me? We can get to know each other better."

Tony shrugged, turning to face me. "Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Tell me about yourself. What do you want me to know about _you_?" I crossed my arms over my chest, facing him completely now. My body language read "open to share yet slightly guarded." Tony's was more "I have barricades."

"I'm a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist. What else do you want to hear?" Tony seemed very apprehensive about the topic.

"Tell me why you're so guarded," I said softly, trying to appease his more gentle side like I saw earlier.

He sighed and looked at the ground. "I put up a lot of walls when I was growing up. I knew how to act certain ways and when to act at all. Most of it came from my dad who wasn't a super great dad at all. He was pretty awful, actually. He was cold and sometimes heartless, but he was always very good to Mom. It was just me that he couldn't stand."

My heart broke and I looked at Tony in a new light. He wasn't just some closed off rich kid with the funny, flirty, and sarcastic barricade, he was a wounded son who suffered neglect from the person he looked up to most.

It was something similar that I was trying to avoid with James. And I hadn't known Howie to be like that. My Howard Stark had always been kind and loving and he certainly would have shown more love for his kids.

My heart went out to Tony but I stayed silent because I had no clue what to say. What, 'I knew your father, he was never like that'? That would only make things a lot worse.

I covered my mouth and tried to keep myself quiet as my eyes filled with tears that I kept trying to blink back. The second the door opened again, I grabbed a beer and rushed to the terrace to be a lone for a few minutes. I knew the panels were glass and that everyone could see me if they really wanted to, but I practically fell on my knees as I looked over the city. I furiously wiped the tears away and sat properly, taking calming breaths and remembering that I was a strong, independent woman who loved and lost and that was okay.

Once I was more or less okay, I popped the cap of my beer and took a sip, deciding to drown my sorrows in alcohol tonight.

I heard footsteps walk out and didn't even bother turning around to know that it was Nat.

 **THIRD PERSON POV**

Tony walked out of the closet, not sure what he had done to upset Max so much. He looked out on to the terrace and turned to the group.

"I wanted to kiss her but we didn't. All we did was talk for a few minutes and then...silence." Tony said, shrugging slightly.

Steve looked worried while Bruce and Thor remained neutral. Clint and Natasha both looked at him with wide eyes.

"What did you talk about?" Nat hastily asked.

Tony frowned. "She asked why I was so guarded. I guess she was reading my body language or something, but I told her about my dad."

Natasha, Clint, and Steve all visibly sucked in a breath.

"Oh no..." Nat whispered and glanced at Max through the glass panels.

"Are you going or am I?" Clint asked, about to jump up and run on to the balcony.

"I'll go," Nat said. "I was the one who spun the bottle."

 **MAX'S POV**

"That was cruel. Very, very cruel," I glared at the city as Nat came to stand by me.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't think it'd land on him."

I sighed. "I know but it just...hurts."

She nodded knowingly. "I'm really sorry, Max."

I shrugged. "I know. I just...I need some space and some air. I'll be back in five, okay?"

She nodded and left me to my own devices. I breathed deeply and focused on calming myself, finishing my beer before going back inside.

I could tell by the new atmosphere that my mood had changed the whole dynamic.

I smiled slightly, trying to lighten the mood. "Sorry all. Just needed a little time to breathe."

Thor glanced around the group and muttered, "Midguardian women are _weird_ ," though with his voice volume, it was a regular level. We all cracked up laughing and I found myself grinning at him.

"You certainly aren't wrong, Thor."

I noticed Steve glancing at Nat continuously, trying to get something out of her but I put it aside. If he wanted to ask me, he would ask me.

"How about a good ol' game of truth or dare?" Clint offered and I smiled gratefully at him.

"That's a great idea," Bruce agreed and I nodded along with him.

Drink, dares, and truths later, we found ourselves drunk as hell, but me the most. Like I said, drowning my sorrows in alcohol. My eyes began to feel droopy and the next thing I knew, my eyes were closing and I fell forward toward Clint's lap. My head landed on his thigh as I curled up and fell asleep.

 **THIRD PERSON POV**

Everyone glanced over to see Max completely out cold. Clint looked down at her and pat her head, not thinking anything of it. Being a loving father and husband, we was used to this sort of behavior. Of course, the only other people in the room who knew that were Max and Natasha.

Clint looked up expectantly at the group, waiting for them to continue on. "What are you all staring at? Have none of you had a drunk person fall asleep in front of you before?"

The others looked away, slightly embarrassed and began to play the game. Clint, while patient and not really caring whether Max moved or not, kept getting looks from Nat. He shrugged but picked Max up and passed her over to Steve.

"Here. She'll probably be more comfortable waking up closer to you, anyway, as I'm sure she hasn't gotten drunk since the war." (Which was true, by the way.)

Steve nodded and took Max in his arms, placing her gently in his lap and leaning back so her head was on his chest; it was a good thing there was a couch behind him. Clint was giving him side eye, not that Steve "Oblivious" Rogers noticed, as if to say 'she may be your girlfriend but she's my daughter, don't hurt her.'

The game of truth or dare was continued on, the group finding out unknown facts about each other, though those who didn't know already wanted to know more about Max and hoped that she'd wake up soon.

While she still could, Nat snapped a pic of Max sleeping soundly in Steve's lap and just as she was about to send it to her in a text, her phone died. Which, in hindsight, was probably for the best considering that Max's phone was in her back pocket.

Ten or so minutes later, Max blinked herself awake and looked up at Steve.

"The hell happened?" she asked groggily.

"You decided to take a little nap," Steve smiled.

"Huh," Max said, sitting up a bit. "No wonder I feel so rested."

She clapped once and turned to the group, "Alright, let's keep this party going. Someone pass me another drink. ... Please."

Steve pulled her back so she sat more in his lap which Max didn't mind at all. She was slightly confused but was perfectly okay with the closeness.

Tony got up and brought back a bottle of wine to which Max thanked him and held the bottle up to Steve for him to use his super strength and pull the cork out for her. She smiled gently once he did and gingerly kissed his cheek as a thank you before drinking the wine straight from the bottle. She looked over the label once she took a drink and stared over at Tony.

"This shit it so old and so expensive! Tony, why would you give this to me! You could use this on a romantic evening or something!" Max exclaimed.

Tony shrugged. "I'm a billionaire, I can always buy more."

She stared him down but ultimately lost and went back to drinking from the bottle of wine by herself.

"What's the game?" Max asked after her next sip.

"Never Have I Ever," Tony changed it, getting sick of truth or dare.

There were groans from around the room and everyone held up both hands.

"I'll start," Nat said. "Never have I ever...lost my virginity."

One of Tony's, Bruce's, Thor's, and Clint's fingers went down. Everybody was laughing at how much of a show Tony put on about it that no one noticed Max had put a finger down too.

They went in a circle and Tony was next.

"Never have I ever drank an entire bottle of wine by myself."

Nat scoffed, knowing that he probably had, but put a finger down anyway as did Bruce and Max. Everyone looked over at the second frozen popsicle and questioned it.

"I'm about to," she said and held up the halfway full wine bottle in her hand.

Everyone nodded and turned to Clint who frowned.

"Never have I ever..." He mumbled something afterward. "Never have I ever drank so much that I fell asleep in the middle of a party." He smirked over at Max who rolled her eyes and put a finger down. Seven more to go for her.

"If y'all keep calling me out, I'll be the first to go," Max muttered. "Never have I ever...made out with my best friend."

The others raised their eyebrows at me and glanced at Steve who smirked proudly and Max coughed to clarify. "I meant Bucky but okay y'all."

Max put a finger down anyway and noticed that so did Clint, Tony, and Thor. She laughed and looked up at Steve for his confession. He had also put one of his fingers down.

"Never have I ever finished a fight on my own." Steve said softly.

"Okay, that was deep, Stevie. We're all over here taking about sex and here you are talking about growing up," Max garbled, her words slightly slurred because of intoxication. Steve couldn't get drunk so she knew it must have sucked for him to be hanging out with intoxicated people.

He looked down at her, gentleness in his eyes and she kissed his cheek, wrapping her arms around him.

"Steve, you're such a fucking teddy bear," Max mumbled into his shoulder and he laughed. She put one of her fingers down (she finished his fights and her own of course) and looked over at Thor who was next.

"Never have I ever seen someone else pick up my hammer."

Max tilted her head to the side. "Maybe that's because Mjölnir is just so fucking stubborn and it's kind of prestigious on who can pick it up. Worthy? I don't get it."

"Mjölnir's wielder can claim throne to Asgard. That is why it is important that I, and I alone as prince and protector of Asgard, can wield it."

"So _that's_ why you had that temper tantrum about the hammer a few years back!" Max exclaimed, excited about finally understanding something. She looked around the room and noticed everybody was concerned with how she knew such information. She shrugged, "Fury caught me up on some things."

Max curled into Steve more as he became her human body pillow and her figure blended into his. "Isn't Mjölnir also made from a star? Like, forged in the heart of a star or something? So that's why it gently sits on top of things... It's why you can wield it so easily. Because it technically weighs nothing... and you have the right body resonance that is compatible with it." She yawned, thinking it over and looking at the hammer hanging by the hook at the doorway. "If the damn hammer was really so heavy that we couldn't pick it up, it wouldn't just hang so light from the hook like that. But because it's actually more of a star than humans are, the world actually moves around it which is why gravity doesn't affect it on Earth or anywhere else for that matter. That's pretty cool actually."

Tony and Bruce stared at her and then looked at each other.

"Did...did she just... _science_ Thor's hammer?" Tony asked incredulously.

"I think she did." Bruce nodded in finality.

"Dude! She out-scienced the science bros!" Tony exclaimed.

Max rolled her eyes. "You two are scientists in a different field than I am. Tony, you're an inventor and engineer. Bruce is a physicist, particularly in nuclear physics. I am an astronomer who knows little to nothing about your fields. All I know is that technology works and it's mind-boggling to someone from my time."

Steve smirked down at the fireball that sat in his lap and she looked up at him, dead in the eyes and asked, "What're you looking at, Popsicle?"

Steve chuckled. "An ice cube who's melting from her own heat."

Max glared at him before laughing along with him. "I sure as hell missed you, Stevie. It's been so, so lonely."

Steve, momentarily having forgotten the rest of the Avengers were still in the room, smiled like he always did when he looked on Maxine Winters's face and pulled her tighter to hug her.

"I completely get it, Maxi. You know I do."

Max rested her head on Steve's shoulder and looked over at Bruce for his confession.

The game went on and on until Tony was nearly out of alcoholic beverages. By then, the Avengers were finding places in the Tower to sleep away their hangovers the next day. Max could be found sprawled out on the floor between the couches, holding an empty wine bottle to her body like she was a young child with a plushie.

Steve smirked as he walked over to his sleepy drunk best friend and set the wine bottle aside, gently picking her up in his arms. He wished Tony goodnight and made sure the coffee pot was on with the bottle of Advil sitting beside it before taking Max's jacket off the hook underneath Thor's hammer at the door. He pulled out her car keys (it's a good thing she left the car seat at home!) and carried her to the car. Steve placed Max in the passenger seat and buckled her in tightly. She groaned but Steve kept moving, putting the seats in the back of the car down and carefully placing his bike inside, maneuvering it so that the trunk closed.

Steve was still figuring out how Max's car even worked five minutes later, still sitting in Tony's driveway. While he knew how to drive—he was a 1920s kid from _Brooklyn,_ they walked _everywhere—_ he was asleep for almost seventy years so it had been a while since he really drove.

Max groaned from her seat. "Turn the key all the way forward and use the grippy thing to put the car in D for drive..." she mumbled, one eye peeking at him.

Steve laughed and did as told, driving carefully out of the driveway and onto city streets. As it's New York, there was no fast way for him to drive her to S.H.I.E.L.D. so he sat in the car and listened to today's hits as they slowly rolled through traffic. On more than one occasion Max's hand shot out and turned off the music entirely (it was usually for Justin Bieber songs).

Steve parked in front of the building, paying the meter with his own money, and used Max's access key to open the doors. He carried her up to her one room apartment and helped her get cozy under the bed, making sure that she changed out of her jeans and into comfortable clothes.

"Maxi, do you need anything else?" Steve asked gently, about to go home.

Max opened her eyes, looking up at him. "For you to stay, you dork. When's the last time you didn't sleep over when I got drunk off my ass?"

Steve laughed at this. "That's because we were both drunk most of the time, Maxi. This is—"

"If you say different, I'll kick your ass. Get in this bed Steve and keep me warm. You know how easily I get cold at night."

Steve laughed. "You claim that a lot you know. You and Bucky were more of _my_ body heaters than I ever was for you two."

Max scoffed even though it was completely true. With all of Steve's medical issues, it was always a possibility that he could freeze to death. Max and Bucky had made a pact at a very young age to alternately slip in and out of Steve's house at night to make sure he was always warm enough.

Steve took off his shoes and khakis, pulling on a pair of Max's oversized pajama bottoms (what?! Khaki's are very uncomfortable to sleep in!) and slid under the covers beside her.

"Will I regret this in the morning?" he asked, smirking.

Max rolled over so that they were facing each other and she curled into his chest. "You? Probably not. Me? Absolutely. Are we going to worry about it? No, we're going to sleep."

And that was the end of that.

Steve played with Max's hair to help her go back to bed. It was an old trick but still effective even after such a long time.

They were new to this world but not new to each other and Steve was glad Max was here to navigate it alongside him.

Max, in her sleeping state, curled herself into Steve and wrapped her arms around him, trying to find the perfect position. Steve smirked through it all, finding her adorable as she sleepclambered around into a comfortable spot. Before he knew it, Max was at peace and Steve drifted off to sleep.

He woke up to Max groaning and grumbling as she made her way around the small kitchenette the next morning. Steve, having not gotten drunk, felt perfectly fine despite not getting a full night's sleep. He never got a full night's sleep though so this was no different.

He chuckled at her moaning and groaning and walked over, sitting her down at the island. He poured her a cup of coffee and passed her some Advil to calm her headache down. She nodded in thanks and Steve got started on his breakfast.

"You know," Max said hazily. "I almost killed a man once due to how hungover I was."

Steve laughed. "Max, that was me. You nearly tried to kill me. You had a pocket knife at the ready and everything."

Max smirked at him. "Ah it was you!" She sipped her coffee. "Sorry about that. You know how I am."

Steve chuckled and kissed her forehead from across the island. "That I do, doll. That I do."

And there was nothing more Max could have wanted out of that moment than Steve making her breakfast in a one room apartment. Because here they were doing the most mundane thing they've done together since the war and they could just be themselves. I suppose everything's better with a little bonding.


	13. XII Mommy on a Mission

**Chapter 12**

I raced down the deck of the boat, sliding under the pipes and slipping onto the deck below. I knocked out the crew without a second's thought and sloppily ran to the ship's control room. I hadn't been this active since battle and hated not being perfect at it.

Proceeding, I knocked out the captain and took control of the ship, immediately turning it around to take it back to a SHIELD base where the captain and his crew could be arrested and tried for illegally selling weapons of mass destruction. I was halfway back to the agreed base when I got a phone call.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Ms. Winters? This is Mrs. Jones, James's daycare teacher. He's been throwing up all day and we're afraid we'll have to send him home as to not get the other kids sick. Can you come pick him up?"

I frowned immediately, looking in front of me at the vast oceanic view. "Um...I'm kind of in the middle of an ocean right now and it might take me a bit to get back to land. Do you mind if I grab him in thirty minutes?"

"That's absolutely fine! We'll keep him in the nurse's office until you arrive." Mrs. Jones said.

"Thank you, see you soon." I smiled and hung up, letting out a frustrated and muffled yell. I pressed my comm to contact Fury. "Nick, did you get any of that?"

"Loud and clear, Winters. We can set your coordinates to the nearest base with a helicopter ready for when you arrive," Fury answered over the comm.

"Thank you so much, Nick. Now, how fast can this thing go?" I asked.

"Quite fast, I suppose. But it is more of a cargo ship, Max, so be careful."

I laughed, "Nick, I'm always careful."

I could practically see every agent in the room rolling their eyes at me.

The nearest base was Washington D.C. which, from my coordinates, was ten minutes away by boat. I turned up the fuel and the motor and anything that I knew how to work and sped my way to the D.C. base, handing over the keys to Coulson as I took the grey v-neck t-shirt from him and winked.

"Have fun with this lot, Son of Coul. They're quite rowdy. Reel them in like you did the Avengers." I smirked and saluted him before swinging into the helicopter and putting on my headphones and seatbelt as the chopper raced against time to make it back to New York.

We landed the chopper on the roof of the building, freaking out a lot of civilians. I jumped from the two story roof to the ground, rolling as I landed. I got up, threw the grey shirt over my black latex SHIELD uniform and entered the building, smiling at the receptionist at the desk.

"Hi, I'm Maxine Winters, James' mom. I got a call about having to come pick him up?"

The receptionist stared at me blankly for a minute or two before blinking out of it and calling the nurse's office. She told me to go down the hall to the last door on the left. I thanked her and followed her instructions, turning into the office where I saw my poor baby laying on his back looking very pale.

I was greeted by the nurse and Mrs. Jones who both looked sympathetic.

"Maxine, good to see you again." Mrs. Jones greeted me and I smiled back at her.

"Good to see you too, Georgia. How's he doing?"

James' teacher frowned. "I'm sad to say that for now he's just asleep. He hasn't gotten worse so I suppose that's good, but he doesn't seem to be getting any better either. Did he have something different to eat last night?"

I frowned. "Well, he tried cut up green beans for the first time instead of the mashed baby food. Um...and had some rice and ground beef which he's had before."

"And everything was cooked thoroughly?" the nurse asked.

I frowned, feeling that her question was an implication of poor parenting, but I nodded my head anyway, knowing that she was just trying to understand the situation. "Yes, the food was all cooked thoroughly."

"And you've transitioned from breastfeeding already?" the nurse asked and I nodded again.

"Yes. He's been drinking whole milk from a bottle for a couple months now," I said, looking over at my poor baby boy.

"He may have food poisoning due to the green beans then if he's had the ground beef and rice before. Just keep an eye out on how you cook it and how he reacts."

I nodded and thanked them both, picking up a sleeping James and taking him outside. I held him tightly to me, feeling awful that I got him sick. I bounced him in my arms as I called Nick.

"Max," Nick answered and I smiled.

"Hey. Could you send over a car or my car please? James is out cold but he hasn't gotten any better and possibly has food poisoning."

"Sure. Bring him back to work with you and you can take care of him in my office since I need you for a little bit."

I approved of the compromise and waited for someone, another agent probably, to pull my car up. I buckled James into his car seat and sat in the back with him to make sure he stayed asleep. The fellow agent drove back to SHIELD and I thanked him for his help. I took James inside and up to Fury's office, James on one shoulder and his diaper bag on the other.

Nick greeted me at the door and immediately took my sleeping son from me, cradling him in his arms. I smiled at the sight, setting the diaper bag on the ground.

"So what is it you needed me for?" I asked, sitting at Fury's desk and glancing at the papers that covered it.

Nick sat behind his desk and balanced James in one arm and passing me the papers with his other hand. "This is it. Just some new assignments that I need you to look over before you go home so you can let me know which you want to take first."

I nodded, flipping through the sheets. "So what I've got is an alien, a Russian assassin, and...rogue soldier. Great. Cool. Which is more dangerous?"

I looked up at Nick who was bouncing James up and down (even though that probably wasn't a good idea).

"Sorry, what?" Nick asked.

I stifled a laugh and smirked instead. "Which assignment is the most dangerous? I should neutralize threats by immediate danger."

Nick shrugged, transferring James to his lap as he pat his back. "The Soldier and alien are not of imminent danger but the assassin on the other hand..."

I threw the other folders on to his desk and began looking through the file of the Russian Assassin.

"Max, you should know that if you choose the Russian, you've got to get started on the mission tonight," Nick advised.

I smiled, reprimanding myself in my head but I wouldn't show that to Nick. "You've got James, don't you? He'll be fine. Besides, this is my job. James'll understand when he's older. It's not like I won't be there for his other sick days."

Nick nodded and I sat down on the edge of the desk, reading through the file.

"Red Room?" I looked up immediately. "Like Nat?"

Nat, Nick's adopted murder child, Clint and I liked to joke. Nat smirked along though she probably didn't find it all too funny. Nat was trained how she was because of the Red Room. They turned her into a super soldier and trained her to be a killing machine.

Nick nodded solemnly and suddenly James was puking all over the place, scream-crying when his airways were cleared. I quickly ran to his diaper bag and grabbed wet wipes and towels and Nick pat his back, making sure he cleared out his system.

I took James and undressed him, tossing his ruined clothes to the side and cleaned him up. He would probably puke again so I didn't dare put other clothes on him. I started cleaning up the floor while Nick cleaned himself off and picked James-who went to sleep- back up again.

"Puke, a Russian assassin, and two more missions. Wow this is fun." I commented sarcastically, rolling my eyes and letting my slight frustration out. I took deep breaths and continued cleaning up the floor until it was spotless and smelled like baby wipes instead of nearly digested food.

I threw out the trash and took James again so Nick could go wash off. I rocked my baby in my arms, smiling down at the little bugger who has given me so much joy and yet so much strife. I sighed and rocked him a little while more before keeping him still in my arms as I continued reading the file for the girl who seemed to be in the same position as Nat was in years ago.

Nick came back and took a sleeping James from me, telling me to go suit up. I followed orders and came back in a black fitted suit with the SHIELD logo on my left shoulder. I kissed James and got my directions along with my fixed comms unit. I put it on, kissed James again and headed out on my mission. I took a fighter jet to Russia, flying the plane myself and refusing to put anyone else in harm's way.

I landed in a secluded area in a Russian forest. I wasn't sure if I'd even be able to get back to the plane from where I was going but at the moment I didn't care and instead made my way toward the Assassin's latest location. I looked down at my watch and overlooked the rooftops, expecting someone running from them sometime soon. I waited patiently before seeing something move out of the corner of my eye and caught the assassin running across roofs and immediately chasing after the person.

My legs burned like a bitch as I ran but I didn't bother thinking about it as I silently chased after the Red Room escapee.

My first approach would be to try and bring her to SHIELD. I knew how Nat had been given a second chance by Clint and Peggy and I wanted to do the same for this girl so long as she gave me the opportunity to do so.

I caught up to her as she stood still on the edge of a railing.

"You've been following me," she spoke with a thick Russian accent.

I smiled a bit. "I have. I'm quite interested in you, my dear. I'd like to help you out."

She turned to look at me, glaring. "That's what they said too."

My smile became more gentle. "I'm sure they did. But Aleksandra, I am not asking for you to kill for me. I'm not here to use you as a weapon." I slowly lowered my one weapon -my gun- to the ground. "I want to bring you to an organization called S.H.I.E.L.D. that can help you and rehabilitate you so you can be free of the Red Room for good."

She was wary but now that my grin was on the ground, she seemed to trust me more.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

I smiled gently. "I only ever speak the truth." She rolled her eyes at me and I smirked. "Fair enough. Do you know Natalia Romanova?"

Aleksandra's eyes widened slightly. "How do you know that name?"

I was glad to get her interest again. "She's my best friend. Nat was brought to SHIELD and hasn't left since because she's found that her...erm, skill set... is most useful with us. You can do the same if you so choose."

Aleksandra looked on edge. I waited patiently for her response and watched how she reacted. Most of her personal walls were down which I was interested to see because Nat never has _all_ of her walls down. Aleksandra may be a trained assassin but I know the look in her eyes-the look of a little girl just wanting to be loved and find her family.

I wasn't going to mention that I was sent here to kill here because that's never a good move to make; it only brings on trouble.

Aleksandra looked up and smiled slightly. "I'll go with you. Maybe I can be of some help to your organization."

I smiled back but was careful not to turn my back to her. Yes, she agreed to come along but that does not mean she was completely trust worthy.

I took her back to the jet and handcuffed her to the seat.

"Please understand that this is simply just a precaution that I must follow."

She nodded and I took my seat in the pilot's chair, tapping on my comm to talk to Nick.

"Agent Winters," Fury greeted and I smiled.

"Director Fury. I am bringing Aleksandra back to SHIELD."

Nick was silent for a minute and then he addressed me. "Agent Winters, that was not your mission."

I smirked a bit. "It wasn't Clint's either when he brought Nat in."

Nick sighed and I could tell he was rubbing his forehead because I sure as hell caused him headaches.

"Fine, Max. Bring her in. We'll have to keep her under lock down for a while until we can trust her."

I agreed and flew back to New York as fast as I could, trying to return to my baby and get Aleksandra to the U.S. safely.

We landed after a few hours and I knew that I would have to attend to the other missions withing the next few days too. I walked Aleksandra out into the facility in handcuffs (Fury didn't trust her) and another couple agents came to relieve me of her. She looked wary and looked back at me. I nodded and she relaxed, letting the other agents take her to a secure bedroom to be observed and kept safe until it was known she could be trusted.

Nick approached me and shook his head at me. "That was risky, Max."

"It was risky when you took Nat in too but look at her now. She's one of the people you trust most."

Nick looked like he was about to object but I held up a hand. "I'm not saying that Aleksandra should become the person you trust most because she shouldn't, but you at least have to give her the chance to prove herself as a potential asset to S.H.I.E.L.D."

Fury nodded, and walked with me to his office.

"James has been pretty much out cold since you left. I woke him to feed him dinner and he's been okay since he puked before you left."

I smirked, "Good to know that I should just take him to you when he's got a stomach bug."

Nick chuckled and we entered his office, finding James trying to crawl out of the playpen. I laughed and ran over, picking him up and bouncing him.

"Did you miss Mommy?" I cooed and James giggled, swatting at the air, smiling at me. I kissed his cheeks and carried him on my hip. "Thank you, Nick. I really, truly appreciate it."

"Any time, Max. Now, you should get going so you both can get some rest tomorrow. And maybe both of you should take the day off."

I smiled and thanked him, kissed his cheek in goodbye and took James home. We cuddled and watched a movie until he fell asleep on my chest and I turned the TV off, placing James on the side of the bed beside me and curling up before falling asleep myself.

Nights like these were great because I was truly able to spend time with James and that's all I ever really wanted when I came home at night.


	14. XIII Rogue Murdering Soldier

**Chapter 13**

The alien was fine. Turns out, it was just Loki screwing with us all the way in Asgard. The next mission was the Super Soldier.

Reading through the file, I was surprised to find unusual training in this soldier's past. I was trying to figure out what would lead him to go into hiding after killing his own brothers in arms.

I had James staying with Nat this time and kissed my little guy goodbye before changing into my suit. I slid into a S.H.I.E.L.D. vehicle and started my mission.

Tracking down the soldier wasn't hard. The camp he chose for himself was any other military-standard camp but with less buildings. To the untrained eye, it seemed like a remote service facility. To the army veteran's eye, it was nothing short of a camp. I hated it and loved it at the same time.

I made my way through the camp, feeling like I was back on my own camp. My heart stung and I raced across the field faster, wanting to get out of here as fast as I could.

I picked the lock on the building I tracked the soldier's signal to and pulled out a pistol in case I needed to shoot. Carefully inching along the wall, I peeked around the corner to see the soldier sitting on the floor against an old filing cabinet. He looked harmless but I knew better. I looked for any sign of weaponry beside him and then forced myself out of my hiding spot.

"Have you come here to kill me?" the man chuckled, not looking up.

I approached slowly. "That depends on your cooperation, sir."

"And if I don't cooperate?" he asked, looking at me with piercing black eyes.

I smiled despite my shock, "Then I'll be forced to do some very unforgiving things, sir. And I'd hate to take down one of my own."

"You served?" he asked, his eyebrows lifting with speculation and shock.

"I did," I nodded. "It was a very long time ago. I'd go back but I'm at a very different point in my life." I looked at him with a small, knowing smirk. "But from what I understand, you'd rather not go back."

The man grimaced. "I'll never take another step in their lines."

"And yet here you are in a camp, hiding from the world."

"The world needn't find me. It'll only find me if you take my body out of here."

I frowned, slightly lowering my gun. "Sir, I can get you help. There are programs, places that can help you with whatever is going on in your mind. Please don't ask me to do this."

He smiled whimsically at me, like he had no care in the world. "I killed our fellow brethren and you're begging me just like they begged for their lives."

"Why _did_ you kill them?" I asked, unnoticeably fixing my aim once again.

"They had their own sins to pay for. Some less guilty than others, but still very guilty. And to pay for my guilt, God above has sent you to take me off this earth. I'm lucky enough that He sent a beautiful angel to show me the way. Make it quick, would you?"

I sucked in a breath, blinking away whatever was going on in my mind. It would be a disservice to this man to take away what he wants most. Screw the justice system, he deserves this mercy. I lowered my gun, letting it hang at my side.

"How would you like it done? Shot, suffocated?" I asked.

He smiled grimly. "I always knew it would be a gunshot to the heart. I have a birthmark right over my heart. Figured it would be fitting."

I nodded. "Close your eyes and count to ten. I will shoot after that. Any last words?"

The smirk grew on his face. "None...except... _thank you._ For doing what others refused to do."

I nodded as the man counted to ten. I slowly took my aim, sucking in a deep breath, my finger on the trigger. "Thank you for your service," I spoke clearly to him and then pulled the trigger. I lowered my weapon, sliding it into its holster, and approached the dying man.

"Thank...you..." he smiled, gripping my hand. He looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes. I felt for a pulse a minute later and then picked up his body, carrying him back to the quinjet I had taken and brought him back to SHIELD.

I exited the quinjet when I landed, Fury approaching me as I did.

Fury started, "Is he-"

"Dead?" I finished. "Yes, he's dead. He begged me to show him mercy so I did. It was quick, if you were wondering."

Fury nodded. He didn't look too happy about it but he accepted it. "You should go change before you go home to your boys."

I nodded and walked away from him, heading to the stairs. I stopped before I reached the door, turning around again. "Nick? Make sure he gets a flag and a proper burial, okay? He was still a soldier, despite the things he's done."

Fury nodded and I turned around with that weight off my chest. I stripped of my blood-stained suit and tossed it in the washing machines in the basement of the base. I showered in the locker room and then changed into jeans and a black t-shirt, deciding to air-dry my hair.

I moved my suit to the dryer and then took the elevator up, deciding to find Steve before I headed out to go home. Said Captain was found in the waiting room on third floor, reading a book.

I smiled, leaning against the doorway and watched him. He looked so handsome just simply reading and it tugged on my heartstrings on being able to see that sight. I had missed it after spending two years apart. I approached him and slung around the back of the couch, draping myself over his shoulders and wrapping my arms around him.

"Whatcha doin' Stevie?" I smirked, looking at the book in his hands.

He smiled and showed me the cover. "Reading Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. It's very good so far."

I smiled and kissed his head. "I'm glad you're keeping yourself busy, but why aren't you reading it at home?"

Steve sighed, putting the book on the coffee table in front of him. "Honestly? It's too quiet in my apartment. At least here I know that there are always people running around."

I inhaled deeply and then untangled myself from him, tossing my body over the back of the couch and landing beside him. I took his hand and squeezed it tightly. "I'm sorry, Stevie. I wish there was something I could do."

He smiled and I could tell there was something on his mind but I knew he wasn't going to voice it.

"What," I asked, looking over at him.

"Move in with me?" he asked. "It would make it so much easier."

I smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, love, but I just got my own apartment and I think I'd like to try living alone for a bit."

Steve nodded, his head hanging low.

"Let's get you a dog, though! Then you'll have something to keep you company and to spend your money on!"

Steve chuckled. "I wish, but the complex I live in doesn't allow for pets."

"Why would you ever live there then?" I asked, disappointed.

He shrugged dejectedly. "It was a good place in my price range."

I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder, hugging his arm. "I really wish I could do more, Stevie. How about you FaceTime me later tonight, when you get home, and maybe it'll feel like you're less alone."

He nodded with a disappointed frown on his face. "Sure, Max."

I lifted his chin so he would look at me. "Someday soon, we'll move back in together. For now, I'm going home because I'm exhausted." I kissed his head and then let him go, leaving him in the lobby and driving home, relieving Nat of her duties.

I flopped on my bed after throwing off my jeans and bra, cuddling under the covers. I dozed off for what had to have been a few hours when my phone rang Steve's custom ringtone. I grabbed my phone and slid my finger across, smiling at the screen.


	15. XIV Love Me, Love Me

**Chapter 14**

 _ **A/N: This chapter is written in Steve's Point of View and takes place sometime after Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This is a time skip, as will also happen in the next chapter. The song is Mercy by Shawn Mendes. Enjoy!**_

 _"You've got a hold of me_  
 _Don't even know your power_  
 _I stand a hundred feet_  
 _But I fall when I'm around ya"_

Max and I stood on the balcony of Stark- no, Avengers- Tower, overlooking the city. I was tense while she sighed happily, drink in hand, glancing over to me in my seemingly stressed state. She put her hand on my back and rubbed it around in circles, trying to comfort me or make me relax. Whatever it was that she was trying to achieve, she was getting there.

She smirked at me and leaned over the balcony, her hand dropping from my back and now resting on the cold concrete of the barrier, to look down at the street below, same as I was doing. "It's high up here," she said softly. Even with the party going on behind us, she was the only thing I could hear. I looked at her as she said, "Probably at least a hundred feet up."

She grinned at me, that glorious grin that makes me weak in the knees and my heart race, my lungs returning to replicate a state of asthma that they no longer belong to. With a smile, I whispered, "And you make me fall that height every day."

 _"Show me an open door_  
 _Then you go and slam it on me_  
 _I can't take it anymore_  
 _I'm saying baby"_

Max's grin fell off her face, as if she hadn't heard me talk to her in such an endearing way before. I frowned, my brows furrowing as I did so. "Did I say something wrong?" Her current state was making me nervous.

Max shook her head, not to tell me no, but as if she were a dog shaking off mud after coming inside from a rainy walk. "No," she said, turning away, and looking back down the streets below.

"Max," I whispered, reaching over and taking her hand into mine. "Don't shut me out. What did I say?"

She sighed a dreadful sigh, turning towards me but not looking at me. "It wasn't you. I just...remembered something. Something Howard once told me." She shook her head, trying to shake the thoughts away.

I sighed softly and wrapped her in a hug, "You loved him once, it's not easy getting over your first love. "

She laughed, and it wasn't one of her joyous laughs. No, this one was sad, almost deflated, and raw. It was raw like the pain that spread across her face. It was raw with anger and sadness, and maybe even some disappointment. "Howard wasn't my first love. He was my first in almost everything but that."

I looked down at her with a confused frown and she pulled away from me, shaking me off and downing the rest of her drink. "I'm going to get another drink," she said, not looking up at me and walking inside and to the bar.

 _"Please have mercy on me_  
 _Take it easy on my heart_  
 _Even though you have good intentions_  
 _You keep tearing me apart_  
 _Would you please have mercy, mercy on my heart_  
 _Would you please have mercy, mercy on my heart"_

I sighed and looked back over the side of the building. I had thought I was finally doing something right; being flirtatious with her, complimenting her, saying the things she deserved to hear, the words that described how I felt about her, dropping the subtle hints that I wanted us to be more than what we are already.

I decided to follow her and headed to the bar, but Max was nowhere to be found. I searched the party but she seemed to have disappeared.

 _Playing with my heart again, Maxine? It hurts._

I wanted nothing more than to tell her that, than to explain to her that I wanted her wholly and completely and yet she kept tugging at my heart, pulling me along in her whirlwind of emotions and all that is Maxine Doris Winters. She was taking pieces out of me one by one and I just wanted her to put them back together; she already had my heart.

I stopped my inner thoughts and once again, looked around for Max. I found Tony, and knowing how close they are, assumed he would know if she left. Walking over to the billionaire, I was on a mission: _find Max before the end of the night._

Tony grinned at me as I made it over to him. "Capsicle! Glad that you came over!"

I smiled a closed lipped smile, "Yeah, sure, Tony. Have you seen Max? She was outside with me a few minutes ago but then she left and I can't find her."

Tony frowned, "Uh, yeah. She said she was going home. Something about having some reading to catch up on or something." He shrugged but I knew that he was lying to cover something up for her.

I sighed and thanked him, heading over to say goodnight to Nat who seemed to be working the party as resident bartender.

 _"Somebody's gotta make sure Tony doesn't have so much that he passes out," she smirked._

I grinned at the small memory from before the party and Nat tossed me a water and a set of keys, presumably mine, as I said goodbye.

 _"I'd drive through the night_  
 _Just to be near you baby_  
 _Heart open, testify_  
 _Tell me that I'm not crazy"_

I walked out of the tower and to my bike, putting on my helmet and sitting down. Starting it up, I kicked myself out of the parking space and on to city streets, chasing my way to Max's small apartment in Brooklyn. Far from the tower, but to where we grew up.

Thoughts raced through my head as I swerved through traffic, just wanting to see her, be with her again, wanting to fix things and make us okay again. I wanted to hear her say that everything was okay.

 _"I'm not asking for a lot_  
 _Just that you're honest with me_  
 _My pride is all I got_  
 _I'm saying baby"_

Making it to the apartment we had once shared over ninety years ago, I parked and walked up to her front door, swallowing whatever pride I had left. I could hear music playing throughout the house. It was a song I wasn't familiar with but it sounded very Max-esque. I reached to put my key into the lock but decided against it and slipped my keys into my pocket and knocked instead. The music paused and I heard her footsteps shuffling around before making it to the door. She opened it and saw me, a small hint of astonishment crossing her beautiful face.

She smiled a similar smile that I gave Tony earlier, "Hey, Steve. C'mon in." She opened the door a little more and closed it after I walked through. She motioned to the couch and I took a seat, looking around at her clean apartment.

She took a stand behind her island, wiping down it's counter. "I wasn't expecting you to show up," she said as she cleaned, still in her outfit from the party, minus the shoes.

 _"Please have mercy on me_  
 _Take it easy on my heart_  
 _Even though you don't mean to hurt me_  
 _You keep tearing me apart_  
 _Would you please have mercy on me_  
 _I'm a puppet on your strings_  
 _And even though you got good intentions_  
 _I need you to set me free_  
 _Would you please have mercy, mercy on my heart_  
 _Would you please have mercy, mercy on my heart"_

I shrugged, looking over at her and watching her work. "You were upset and you know how I hate it when you're upset."

She sighed and looked over at me, towel underneath her hand on the counter. "Just because you hate it doesn't mean that you can try and fix it."

With every fiber of my being, I was trying to make it better. I got up and walked over to her hoping that I was right about this, that I came over here for the best reason and not a selfish one. "Tell me about him, " I said as I sat down at one of her stools propping my head up with my hands, smiling.

She was taken aback by the question, and then continued to clean in silence, clearly thinking about the topic. She decided to speak up a few minutes later. "Howard...was amazing. Intelligent, funny, proud, cheeky and flirtatious, but always there for me."

As she went on, I listened but I watched her talk about him, too. She spoke so animatedly about him, putting him in a new light for me. Howard and I were friends back at the base, but we didn't go beyond that. We weren't close, but I wouldn't call us just acquaintances or colleagues either.

With my feelings for Max, I could feel my heart strings tugged at the pain of it and hearing her speak of another man. My chest contracted but I didn't show it in fear of Max being aware of it. I was being torn apart by the fondness in Max's tone, the way she spoke about Howard that just made me want to kiss her and make her forget him.

Shaking my head to get myself out of the daze I was in, I began to actually listen to Max's words.

"-and then he kissed me. Oh god, Steve. He was such a good kisser. Not as good as you, of course but he just had this way of just making me mel-"

"Enough," I burst, not being able to do it anymore. "Please Max, no more. I can't listen to you talk about him like that."

 _"Consuming all the air inside my lungs_  
 _Ripping all the skin from off my bones_  
 _I'm prepared to sacrifice my life_  
 _I would gladly do it twice_  
 _Consuming all the air inside my lungs_  
 _Ripping all the skin from off my bones_  
 _I'm prepared to sacrifice my life_  
 _I would gladly do it twice"_

She looked taken by surprise but then smirked at me. She walked around the island and stood in front of me, her legs nearly fitting between my knees. "Oh yeah, Steve? And you think I could sit through Peggy? And every other woman on that base? And all the women who have flirted with you in _this_ century?"

She slowly leaned forward and I smirked back at her, "Technically, you didn't sit through all this century's women. You burst over to interrupt them as soon as you could."

She laughed softly and then pressed her lips against mine and I captured her in my arms, easily pulling her into my lap. Max wrapped her arms around my neck, her hands flying to the ends of my hair at the back of my neck and she ran her fingers through them tugging slightly as our lips clashed in such a way that we were eventually breathing hard, pulling at each other's clothes and bodies, nearly getting too deep into the kiss.

"Max, let me stay the night," I mumbled out during a breath between kisses.

She smiled into that next kiss, "As long as you don't stay asleep for 70 years."

I chuckled, "I've died for you once and I'd do it again but I promise not tonight."

She kissed me in agreement, slowly, sensually, pulling at me in every way that she could.

 _"Oh please have mercy on me_  
 _Take it easy on my heart_  
 _Even though you don't mean to hurt me_  
 _You keep tearing me apart_  
 _Would you please have mercy on me_  
 _I'm a puppet on your string_  
 _And even though you got good intentions_  
 _I need you to set me free_  
 _I'm begging you for mercy, mercy (on my heart)_  
 _I'm begging you, begging you please baby_  
 _I'm begging you for mercy, mercy (on my heart)_  
 _Oh, I'm begging you, I'm begging you, yeah"_

From island stool to her bed, Max and I kept our little smooch fest going. Laying her down on the bed, I heard Max's laugh as her back hit the mattress. I climbed on top of her, smirked as I pressed my lips to hers again and ran my hand up her thigh. She made a noise that made my heart melt and she pushed me back just enough to break the kiss.

"You're sexy when you you do that," she whispered before leaning in and kissing me again, her hands trialing to the hem of my t-shirt, sliding her warm fingers underneath it and against my abs. A soft moan escaped my lips and I muttered "tease," as she kept moving her hands up.

Breathing got harder and heart rates got faster. Sheets got more tangled and bodies clashed with clothes attached. All I wanted was her, now and for the rest of our lives, however long that may be.

She had me practically strangled in our kiss and I pulled away, lowering myself on top of her, head laying right on her stomach. She ran her hands through my hair as we both caught our breaths.

The comfortableness with the two of us was fantastic and it made me extremely happy that this is where we were in our relationship.

After a few more minutes of laying like that, Max spoke up. "You're crushing my lungs. Come up here and cuddle me please."

With a chuckle, I pushed myself up and next to her, turned on my side to face her. She smiled and turned towards me too, extending her neck to kiss my cheek before she buried her face in the crook of my neck and pushed herself against me. I wrapped her in my arms, pulling her close and closing my eyes.

Max sighed contently and I smiled again, turning my head to kiss her temple. She smiled and kissed my neck, returning the love.

"I love you, Max," I whispered to her.

She tapped her fingers across my chest, smiling, "I love you too, Stevie."

And though we talked about that night (and frequently), we kept our relationship casual like it had always been. Max held back secrets from me for reasons she didn't share, and I didn't feel comfortable with declaring a relationship for feelings that I hadn't explored and couldn't explore with Max holding back from me. Me living all the way in D.C. while she was in New York also didn't make either of us comfortable.

 **A/N:** **Here's a lovey-dovey chapter in honor of Valentine's Day and I hope you enjoyed it!**


	16. XV Old and New

**Chapter 15**

There were no missions to report to so the Avengers and I had the night completely free while James was with Annie who I bumped up to be his nanny. Steve had gone out with Nat while Bruce was tucked away in his lab, working on a new project. Clint went home to spend more time with his kids, probably going to later on claim that he was retired. Thor was back on Asgard and Rhodey was back on a base far away from us. The only people left were Tony and I.

For some odd reason, I liked to spend time with the asshole billionaire playboy philanthropist who always stayed loyal to his family. He was fun and his company was usually enjoyable unless he was pissing me off. I remembered our first few meetings fondly, and since then we have grown to be great friends.

I walked into the kitchen where I found Tony gulping down a cup of milk. "If you keep chugging like that it'll get stuck in the back of your throat and you'll have terrible stomach gas that you can't get rid of," I teased, smirking at him as I leaned forward against the counter.

Tony set the glass on the counter in front of me, licking his lips and then burping. "All good."

I shook my head lightly, not at all surprised by his antics. I sighed before looking back up at him, "Hey, you doing anything tonight?"

He looked taken aback and furrowed his eyebrows at me. He looked around the kitchen before pointing to himself. "Oh, oh, are you asking me that question? Because I thought you and Capsicle were a thing."

I laughed slightly, "We are casual, Tony, but he Sam, and Nat went out for the night so I'm lonely because you're the only one left to hang out with."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Okay, I see what you're saying. 'Tony's last pick because I'm lonely,'" he whined, trying to mock me by imitating me.

I scoffed. "I sound nothing like that and that's not what I meant. Fine, if you don't want to hang out, I can always just sit around the bar by myself, get drunk, and wait until Steve comes home..." I sighed dramatically, tapping my fingers on the counter.

Tony groaned. "Fine, I'll hang out with you. On one condition!" I gave him the side eyes, waiting for his condition. He smirked, "You have to tell me some of your war stories with my father."

I smiled. "I would have done that in the first place."

So we sat around the bar, having a couple drinks, and discussing some of my favorite memories of Howard Stark.

"Hm, what's another good one to tell you... Oh yeah! Your dad and I were a thing for a little while." I said, shrugging it off as I took another sip of my drink.

Tony stared at me with bug eyes as I continued on.

"Nobody really knew about it because there was a war going on but we were totally a thing." I looked over to see his reaction.

Tony remained shell-shocked. "A thing? As in like, you two 'kind of dated but didn't really' thing?"

I nodded, smiling, and took another sip. "What, do you find it weird?"

He nodded his head. "And to think, you could have been my mom!"

I laughed. "If we had gotten any farther than the doors of each others' rooms and making out in your dad's lab, that would be true. Or, at least you'd have a half sibling."

Tony began staring at me again before shaking his head, trying to clear that thought away. "Tell me another story."

I tapped my finger on my chin, trying to think of one. "Have I told you the one about Steve getting his shield?" He shook his head so I continued on. "So, when Steve got his Shield, he had been waiting to speak with Colonel Phillips outside Phillips' office, where a young secretary who was _very_ interested in Captain America, decided that it would be a good idea to throw Steve off-guard and kiss him. So she grabbed him by his tie and pulled his lips to hers. Peggy walked in right on time to save his butt and made Steve follow her to where the Colonel, your father, and I all stood waiting for him to discuss his shield." I paused and smirked a bit, now again looking directly into his eyes. "You know how the shield is made of Vibranium, right?" Tony nodded so I continued on.

"So your dad passed Steve the shield who took great pride in that thing, let me tell you, and grinned so proudly at it. That is until Peggy decided to shoot a bullet at him which ricocheted off of the shield just fine, only leaving a tiny dent because it was in such short range. Steve looked frightened out of his wits and Peggy was still furious at him for allowing that girl to kiss him." I smirked again. "Moral of the story, don't make Peggy Carter angry. Ever."

Tony laughed, "Yeah well, that's Aunt Peg for you. I can only imagine Capsicle shaking in fear."

"Wait, you knew Peggy?" I asked, tipping my head to the side.

"Knew her? She's still alive, Max." His eyebrows were furrowed and his head tipped toward his shoulder. "Did you not know?"

I shook my head, tears welling up in my eyes. "Oh my gosh, I'll have to tell Steve! Where is she staying?"

"She's in a retirement home in D.C. She's got Alzheimer's so her family and I agreed she should be put in a home." Tony looked solemn and I slipped my hand into his.

"She's your godmother, isn't she?" I asked softly.

Tony nodded. "She practically raised me. More than Howard ever did, anyway."

I smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, darling. That's got to be very hard for you."

Tony shrugged it off, taking his hand out of mine and getting up to pour us both another drink. "All's fair in love and war."

* * *

A drunken Tony and I sat around the bar, laughing our asses off at nothing in particular when a strange thought came to my head that I just had to share with Tony.

"Tony, Tony," I giggled, trying to look straight at him. "I-I have a question."

He nodded his head, "Shoot," he smirked.

I laughed a little more before asking, "How-how come you never...never combine your suits like the Power Rangers?"

He laughed and I laughed, so we were both drunkenly laughing at the bar.

He finished laughing before I did and muttered, "Because I never thought of it."

We laughed more and I knew I just had to write it down or else we wouldn't remember it.

"D-do you have a pen?" I stuttered and Tony pulled out a sharpie from his pocket. "C'mere," I muttered and he raised his arm to me so that's where I wrote my idea.

All I remembered after that was dozing off in the kitchen, the two of us making our way to the sofas by the bar and falling asleep, each tangled in blankets on our own sofa. I woke up the next morning with a massive headache and Tony still asleep on the floor beside me. The sight made me laugh and I sat up, rubbing my temples. I crawled off the couch and fixed my blanket to wrap it tighter around me as I walked back over to the wet bar and scavenged the cabinets for some sort of pain reliever. I poured myself a glass of water and shuffled around this level of the tower, trying to find ingredients for my magical hangover reliever. This reliever included eggs, coconut water, strong coffee, bananas, asparagus, ginger, tomato juice, spinach, lemons, and a bit of honey.

"I thought I heard you shuffling around up here," Steve grinned as he walked up the stairs.

I immediately grinned, smiling back at him. "Hello handsome! How wonderful it is to see you as I suffer through this massive hangover I have."

Steve chuckled and kissed my head, wrapping me in a hug. "Do you have all that you need for your famous remedy?"

I looked around the counter at my supplies. "I think so but I don't want to wake Tony with the blender. He had much more to drink than I did and I don't want him to wake up early when he can sleep all of it off, you know?"

Steve nodded, releasing me and grabbing my supplies for me. I followed him to the kitchen on the floor below, shoving all of the ingredients into the blender. I poured myself a glass and Tony one as well which Steve stuck in the fridge for later use. I chugged the drink, pinching my nose, and waiting a few minutes for it all to kick in. My headache was relieved under ten minutes and I was able to sigh happily, my shoulders relaxing. Steve laughed at me and I couldn't help but grin at him.

"How was hanging out with Nat last night?" I leaned forward, resting my chin on my hand.

Steve shrugged, taking a seat across from me. "It was fun, we had a good night. Got caught up in some mischief, screwed around a little, the usual us stuff."

I shook my head, a grin still on my face. "Did you punch anyone this time?"

"No, but Nat did. The guy was catcalling a lot of girls on the street and she just pulled him out of the way, pushed him up against the wall and broke his nose, jaw, and probably his skull. We got away from there pretty happily."

Tony came stomping down the stairs at that exact moment, a blanket trailing behind him.

"Well good morning, sunshine," I greeted, grinning at him. Tony glared at me and I took his drink out of the fridge and put it in front of him. "Here, drink this. It'll do wonders to your hangover."

He gulped it down and wiped his lips, muttering a thank you as he scrolled through his phone. I ruffled his hair and took his glass, washing it thoroughly before setting it out to dry.

"Tony, you better be awake, we have work to do," Pepper called, walking into the kitchen.

"He's up but give him a few minutes, Pep. There was more than the usual amount of alcohol in his system last night." I gave her a pointed look and she scaled back her demanding tone.

Steve smirked at me and I could only smile at him as Tony and Pepper got to work at the island. Steve and I slipped out of the room, going down to Steve's floor to have an actual breakfast which he happily cooked for both of us. As Steve was making eggs, I decided to tell him about Peggy.

Taking a sip of my coffee, I tried to settle my nerves before blurting out the news. "So, uh, Tony and I were talking last night and I was telling him war stories. When I mentioned Peggy, he told me she was his godmother. And that..." I had to take a deep breath to give the information out of me, "she's alive, Steve." I waited for his reaction and watched him set his spatula down, leaning forward over the stove.

"I know," he whispered. "Tony told me a week ago. I just...haven't been able to call."

"You knew?!" I shouted, standing up quickly and almost breaking my mug.

He turned to face me, his eyes covering with tears. "I knew. I'm so sorry for not telling you, Max."

"There's no excuse for that, Steve!" I yelled, angry tears coming to my eyes. "She's been alive all this time and you didn't even bother to tell me?" My voice cracked and I knew I was about to break down. "How could you?" I choked out, staring at him as tears flooded my vision.

"I'm so sorry, Max. I'm so, so sorry." Steve started walking forward to embrace me but I jumped away from him.

"No, don't come near me. I don't want anything from you. I can't believe you, Steve. You know how much Peggy means to me because I know how much she means to you. How could you lie to me like this?" I wrapped the blanket tighter around me. Steve tried moving toward me again but I stepped back. "I need some air," I whispered, shaking my head and speed walking over to the elevator to go down to my floor.

I settled on showering and changing as I furiously wiped my eyes free of the tears. I dressed in some jeans, a black long sleeve v-neck, and a blanket scarf, and put on some makeup to complete the look. I decided to go check up on James and Annie, needing a break from tower life for the day.

Annie hadn't texted me so I was sure everything was going okay. I went back to the apartment and found her asleep in the spare room, James up playing on his bed.

I giggled and joined him. "Good morning, love bug. Did you sleep well?" He giggled happily and I plucked him out of his bed to change him. Afterwards I set him down on the ground so he could walk his way to the kitchen. "Well why don't we get you breakfast, hmm?" He giggled again and walked with me to get his breakfast. I settled him into his chair and sat patiently as I made him breakfast that consisted of fresh fruits and vegetables, cut very small so he could chew through them.

When Annie woke up, she stayed through breakfast but I quickly sent her home for the next couple of days as I was sure James was a lot to handle for two days by herself and no break. I took the next couple of days off and stayed home with James, avoiding going back to work so I didn't have to talk to Steve. He called and texted me but I ignored him, instead focusing attention on my son. Fury understood that which I was grateful for and though I was docked pay, it was fine by me.

I went back to work after a week staycation and was greeted warmly by Nat and Maria. They caught me up on everything and both threw in that Steve was moping around for the past week. I had rolled my eyes and made them continue on with the conversation, wanting nothing more than to get past the topic of Steve.

I made it through most of the day and only had a few hours to go before I would be going back home to my boy. My confidence that I wouldn't run into Steve was high but that mirror shattered when he shuffled up to my office with the look of a lost puppy.

"Max?" he asked softly, knocking lightly on the frame of the door.

I had to take a deep breath to compose myself and then spun in the chair to face him. "Yes, Steve?"

His eyes were a clear blue and were full of sincerity. "I'm sorry for not telling you earlier. I just wasn't sure what to do, I didn't know how you'd take it and I didn't know how _I_ was going to take it." He looked away from me and suddenly found extreme interest in the floor. "Telling you felt like a confirmation that she had been alive this whole time and for some reason I hadn't been able to find her. It felt like I hadn't done my job and maybe I hadn't." He paused and glanced back over at me.

With a sigh, I collected my thoughts and put on a brave smile. I stood up and walked over to him, taking his hands in my own. "I get it, Stevie, I do. And, I'm sorry too—I acted very poorly the other day and should have been more supportive of you."

"You have every reason to be upset with me, don't apologize."

I shook my head, smiling back up at him. "No, I don't. I know it's a lot to process but I still shouldn't have reacted the way I did and I shouldn't have ignored you either. That wasn't fair to you." I reached up to cup his cheek, brushing my thumb over his cheekbone. "Will you accept my apology?"

He laughed softly, "I accept your apology and forgive you."

I wrapped him in a hug and he hugged me back. "Thank you, Steve."

He pulled away and looked down at me. "Do you want to go see her sometime?"

I nodded. "If we could go together, that would be really, really great."

* * *

 **A/N** **: First of all, HAPPY 37th BIRTHDAY TO OUR WONDERFUL CAPTAIN AMERICA, CHRIS EVANS. A man who has truly brought so much light to my life. Thank you.** **Secondly, as you've seen, there has been a bit of a time jump. James is 2yr/o and this takes place after CA: TWS. the next chapter will jump to explaining details and events of things between now and Civil War. One of the main things I wanted to accomplish with this chapter was Max's and Tony's budding friendship. They grow really close over the years and I wanted to show where Max starts actually getting fond of Tony. This was also a chapter to introduce Max and Steve's continuous relationship as well as some more of the trivial decisions and encounters they make for themselves and each other.**

 **Before I end off, I want everyone to be aware of the changes I'll be making for Civil War. This is a fanfic after all, so please be aware that there will be many things changing, most significantly the outcome of Civil War and where that leaves Bucky.**

 **Thank you all for reading! See you soon with another update. :)**


	17. XVI Little Bug

**Chapter 16**

Two years have flown by with everything changing. And I mean _everything._

After a few more months of staying in New York together, Steve was moved to Washington D.C. I stayed updated with him and he told me all about his adventures. He also shared how lonely it could get and though I do regret his pain, I had been holding down the fort in New York with Tony, as Fury suggested.

Holding down the fort until Steve found Bucky. _Our_ Bucky.

I had raced to D.C., finding Steve healing in a hospital room with a man waiting in the chair beside him. It was not the man I was expecting but I was happy that Steve had found this man, Sam Wilson.

After that, Sam and I kept in touch. He kept me up to date on Steve's shenanigans and we became close friends.

Tony and I were forced to momentarily step away from Avengers Tower after Nick Fury's apparent death. Of course, Nick was not dead but HYDRA took over SHIELD and the place I once founded was now the thing we had been fighting all along.

And then Ultron happened.

We had eliminated Hydra's research base in Sokovia and out of it came some awful things including, but not limited to, Tony's horrible vision which he confided in me, an artificial intelligence named Ultron, and meeting the Maximoff Twins.

Ultron was defeated and lives were lost, as was the country of Sokovia which immediately became my issue to handle. We sent out formal apologies from the team for all the lives lost despite our best efforts to save everyone, and set up an international fund to help the refugees find new homes with the assistance we could provide. Tony was doing his best to help me but he also needed to focus on his own company so I forced him to work on his own needs.

All the while, Tony got us a base in Upstate New York and it felt cold and new. It was extremely remote but I hoped it would be good to us. With the threat of HYDRA now behind us, SHIELD was coming back together and I was going to introduce James to the team. At four years old, James was old enough to finally be safe around the people I considered family. I expected backlash and I knew I was going to get a lot of it.

* * *

The timing was of utter importance as I wanted all who could be there to be there. Bruce and Thor were M.I.A. so they were a no-show, but I needed my core-four to be there or else I wasn't getting through this. I decided that telling the group as a whole would be the best idea, though Clint had advised for me to tell Tony first. So I did.

"Tony," I called out, my voice shaky and my stomach in knots. "Tony, I have to talk to you."

"Over here!" he yelled, waving a wrench in the air.

I half-smiled which quickly turned into a frown as I approached him.

"What'cha need, Max?" He was grinning and I started having second thoughts about telling him. This could break his heart and I didn't want to tear down his good mood.

"Can we sit?" I asked, biting my lip. His sweat-covered eyebrows furrowed at me but Tony nodded his head and led me to one of his sitting places.

I took a deep breath and then looked into those deep brown eyes of his that so clearly matched James's that I just knew I had to tell him.

"You remember how I told you your father and I were a fling at one point?" Tony nodded his head and I kept talking. "Well, we were a little more than that. We were great friends, your father and I, but we also dated for some time. And towards the end, our relationship went past a level I couldn't turn back from. I had been planning to put myself into cryogenic sleep to meet with Steve and I spent my last two weeks with your father. He proposed to me," I smiled at Tony, and realized my hand had been clutching Howard's ring the entire time I talked about him. "I said no, of course, but we—"

"You had sex with my father." Tony stated. His eyes told me he was angry but his tone told me he was hurt. "That's why you retuned _two years_ after Cap returned."

I nodded my head. "Yes. I waited an entire year after my pregnancy was over to return to the world."

"So...did you...?" Tony swallowed his question but I knew what he was asking.

"Oh goodness no. I've kept your sibling a secret for the past four years. You have no idea how hard it is, splitting your time between your job and your child, at a job where you love the people you work with but can't talk about the child at all." I sighed and looked up at Tony whose brown eyes were getting brighter with anger. I smiled nervously and took his hands in mine, squeezing them tightly. "Tony, you have a little brother and his name is James Howard Margaret Winters."

Tony stood up, snatching his hands away quickly. "What the hell?!" He started pacing, one hand on his hip, the other running through his hair.

I stood slowly, tears brimming my eyes as I watched him stress. "Tony, I'm sorry for waiting so long. I was just worried about HYDRA and after Ultron... I figured that you needed to know him before anything else happened. You should get to know your little brother."

Tony laughed incredulously which slowly turned into a sob. I slowly approached him and pulled him into a hug.

"I never thought I'd ever hear those words. I have a little brother..." He laughed once more before hugging me back even tighter than I had been holding him. After a moment, he pulled away and looked at me sternly. "Yes, I'm mad at you— I'm livid, actually— for not telling me about him but I understand. He's not me, after all"

I laughed, grinning at him. "No, my dear. He's not you." I kissed Tony's head and wiped the tears from his eyes. "I want to introduce you to him. Go clean up and meet the rest of the team in the living room."

Tony nodded and got up before hugging me one more time and then rushed to clean up. I watched him go, smiling as his form passed through the door. I squeezed the ring in my hand that hung around my neck and bit my lip to hold back tears.

"He's so happy, Howie. How'd we ever manage to get so lucky?" I laughed at myself, only imagining what Howard Stark would answer to that incredulous question.

I gathered the team in the living room, asking them all to sit. Tony joined us a minute late and he sat beside me in case I needed comfort in telling the rest of the team. I was afraid I was going to get more backlash from these guys than I did Tony.

"Guys, I've gathered you all to tell you something of the utmost importance. Please, hear me out for as long as you can stand me and trust that I did what I did for the safety and best interest of everyone involved." I looked over the crowd and saw only confused faces looking back at me, besides Nat and Clint of course.

I took a deep breath and started again. "Back during World War II, I was dating Howard Stark. It was toward the end of the war and most of it took place afterward. Howard was my rock as he was there for me when we lost Steve." Cue said super soldier blushing but still looking confused. "Before I placed myself in cryogenic sleep, we spent my last two weeks together and used my last night to our full advantage. I thought I would get lucky when I placed myself in cryo sleep and it turns out that I was not. Fury woke me up per my instructions, which was after Steve was found, _directly_ after."

It was sinking in for Steve, I could read it on his face. Tony grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly so I would have the courage to continue.

"I waited two full years before making my debut as SHIELD's long lost founder. You all must understand that I did not make this decision lightly and I did it for the safety of myself and for all those involved. And after HYDRA finally being eliminated and recent events as well, I decided to share my biggest secret with you all," I smiled nervously and glanced at Steve. "My son James Howard Margaret Winters. My pride and joy."

I looked over at all of them, searching for their reactions. Clint and Nat were smiling at me—grinning, actually. Rhodey was beaming as well, Wanda was shocked and Vision was also sharing the emotion. Sam was smirking at me and then smirked at Tony.

"Tony, Max is pretty much your mom now," Rhodey laughed.

I smirked and Tony did too. "She's practically been my mother the moment she stepped back into this world. Nothing new."

I laughed and squeezed Tony's hand and then glanced over at Steve who was making his way up the stairs. "Steve?" I called out, standing up quickly.

He didn't even turn around to look at me when he responded with, "I need some time, Max." The coldness in his voice stabbed me like a knife in my chest and I sucked in a breath.

"O-okay..." I whispered.

"So when do we meet the little rascal?" Rhodey asked, taking my mind off of Steve.

"Now, if his mother would so kindly come take him from me," Fury's voice boomed through the A.I. system.

I laughed and ran up the stairs and opened the side door, allowing Fury to walk in with James in tow.

"Mommy!" James yelled, hugging my legs with such a ferocity that I almost fell over.

I laughed and bent forward, hugging him. "Hey, little bugger. How was it hanging out with Uncle Nick?"

James grinned up at me. "Great! We had so much fun in the car!"

I grinned back at him. "That's awesome, baby! I've got some people for you to meet, is that okay?" James nodded and I took his hand, leading him toward the group. "This is the rest of Mommy's family. Of course, you already know Auntie Nat and Uncle Clint but I want to introduce you to Sam, Wanda, Vision, and Rhodey."

They all waved at him, encouraging a chorus of, "hi!" I grinned as James waved excitedly.

"One last person for you to meet, okay?" James nodded his head and I brought him over to Tony. "James, this is Tony. He's your older brother."

James stared up at Tony with wide eyes and then looked back and forth at the both of us. "But he's your age, Mommy!"

Everyone around us laughed and I ruffled James' hair. "I can assure you that he's not, little bug. Can you say hi?"

"Hi Tony!" James grinned, and Tony picked him up, smirking and striking up a conversation. I smiled at my two boys and the group quickly surrounded them, everyone wanting to meet James.

I glanced at the stairs, hoping to see Steve waiting but the stairs were vacant.

Sam was at my side, nudging me slightly. "He'll swing back around. It won't take him too long."

I nodded in agreement. "I just don't know how long I can last."

Sam put his hand on my shoulder and I smiled at him before looking back at the group which he decided to join.

This was my family, mostly complete once again.

* * *

"Max, now that your secret is out, move in with us. Don't drive up here every time you need to come to a meeting. There's already an entire floor waiting for you to inhabit it. I can renovate it to make James's room larger, better. You two can stay on my floor until it's done." Tony offered the next morning at breakfast and I couldn't stop grinning.

"Tony, that would be wonderful, thank you so much." I agreed happily. I wasn't going to let the apartment go though. It would be our little Brooklyn safe house if we ever needed it. It meant too much to me, to Steve, and hopefully to Bucky, to let it slip from my grasp once more.

It wasn't until a few days later that Steve swung around.

"Can I...talk to you?" he asked carefully, addressing me while we were in the common area.

I pulled away from the game James and I were playing and stood up, dusting off my black jeans. "Sure," I agreed, following him to wherever he was taking me. We settled on going outside, sitting on the benches by the garden.

"So," I started awkwardly, fiddling with my thumbs.

"I'm sorry...about the other day. About my reaction to James." He sighed heavily, lifting his eyes to look into mine. "I was just upset that you kept this from me for so long...you were living a double life for five years, Max."

I nodded, "Yeah, I was. And every day I debated telling you and talking to you but every day was another mission, another HYDRA attack, another reason not to tell you about him and instead keep him safe."

Steve was nodding slowly. "Which I completely agree with; his safety comes first and living a double life is just something you have to do if it comes down to it." He paused, looking away from me again before looking back up. "But did you have to keep it from me?"

I could feel my heart sinking in my chest and it felt like a weight was just sitting there. "I wish I could say no, Steve. I really do. I wish I could have met with you earlier, I wish you could have met James earlier, but for me to keep him completely safe, yes I do think I had to keep him from you, to keep that part of my life from you."

He shook his head gently and I could see the tears in his eyes. "I can't believe you're a mom."

I chuckled softly and pulled his hand into mine. "Sometimes neither can I."

"Is it like you always thought it would be?" he looked up at me, a hint of worry but also curiosity in his eyes.

"I think it's similar but it's very much it's own adventure. One of the biggest challenges is...well not having someone to raise him with. Granted, I have this amazing group of friends that I consider my family who I know are willing to help out, but there's only so much that I can ask of them that I sometimes hold back asking and they start popping around, seeing if I need help. I appreciate it but it would just be easier if I could raise him _with_ someone, you know?"

Steve nodded again and we talked about it more. I showed him pictures of James throughout the years and talked to him about raising him behind the scenes. He was supportive and listened throughout all of it, and I was supportive of him when he talked about how he felt excluded from this part of my life.

"I want to share this with you, Steve." I held his hand in both of mine, giving it a squeeze. "I want this part of my life to finally be part of yours. Are you okay with that?"

"Okay with it? Of course I'm okay with it, I'm happy I get to see you in your element. I finally get all of you again." The last statement came out as more of a whisper and I looked into his eyes to see the truths they held.

"I'm sorry it took me so long," I whispered, leaning forward just the slightest.

He smiled sadly. "Me too, but you're both here now." I nodded and captured his lips with my own, slowly and gently kissing him.

"I love you," he mumbled gently against my lips like a whisper in the wind.

"I love you too," I whispered. "Always have, always will." After a few more moments of silence and sitting in each other's arms, I got up and grinned happily, tugging on his arm. "C'mon, I want to formally introduce you."

Steve chuckled but followed anyway. There was a smile on his lips and I was happy that it was there. I couldn't even imagine what I would do had Steve not accepted this part of me.

"James," I called out into the living room. My little boy shot his head up at the sound of his name and looked over at me with wide eyes. "I've got someone for you to meet." He nodded and Steve and I approached. We stood in front of him, still holding hands. "James, this is Steve. Steve's been my best friend since before I was your age."

James beamed at Steve and Steve gave a gentle and awkward wave. "Hey buddy, nice to finally meet you."

I pulled Steve down on the couch and settled beside him, facing James.

"You know, you're named after my best friend," Steve grinned.

I had explained James's name to everyone once all the excitement had passed and Steve was very touched to hear that James was named after two of his favorite people.

"I know, Mommy and I share the same last name," James nodded, touching on the subject that had been a bit of a sore spot for him at school.

Steve chuckled at that. "Yeah, you do, but your mommy's and I' s best friend Bucky—his first name was James. We loved him a lot."

"He was our brother," I added, smiling at my son. "I miss him dearly."

James nodded in understanding as Steve gripped my hand.

"We'll find him, Doll. I promise." He pressed a kiss to my head and I could only nod in agreement. James's eyebrows furrowed and he slipped over to me, clambering into my lap and giving me a tight hug. I chuckled sadly and hugged him back, pressing kisses to the crowd of his head.

"I love you, little bug," I whispered gently.

"I love you too Mommy," James beamed.

* * *

 **A/N: Sooooo, long time no update y'all! Sorry about being MIA but I hope this update is adorable and comforting to your fluffy needs.**

 **For clarification: Max and Tony's relationship is very mother/son, brother/sister. They've grown closer because they've worked together a lot more (in the lab, on missions, both of them being stubborn and wanting to make the world a better place. With Steve in D.C. for a bit and Max sticking with NY while Fury covered D.C., she was around Tony** _ **all the time.**_ **She's become as close to him as Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy and she's more than content to be joining his inner circle.**

 **As for Steve, they aren't exclusive but neither of them are actively looking for other relationships either. Max is raising James and working with Fury and Maria to re-gather SHIELD. She's got a lot on her plate and obvi Steve and Natasha are working on training the new Avengers and going on missions. They aren't really reaching past their comfort zones as their comfort zones are being with each other. They're just slightly extending their arms a little bit and letting those comfort zones include gentle caresses and 'I love you's and kisses in purposefully paused elevators and private spaces where Tony's security cameras can't see them (Not that Tony would spill any secrets, but he'd definitely make a big deal about it and show the footage to literally everyone before breakfast).**

 **Please let me know if you've got any more questions! I'd love to answer them and would love to get feedback from you all! Thanks so much for reading! 3**


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